6 PM - Garry Leech discusses and signs "Beyond Bogota: Diary of a Drug War Journalist in Colombia" at
Bus Boys and Poets.
2021 14th St NW
(corner of 14th and V)
Washington, DC
www.busboysandpoets.com
A firsthand account of Colombia's turmoil by a journalist who was held captive by rebel guerrillas Independent journalist Garry Leech has spent the last eight years working in the most remote and dangerous regions of Colombia, uncovering the unofficial stories of people living in conflict zones. Unlike other Western journalists, most of whom rarely leave Bogotá, Leech learns the truth about conflicts and the U.S. war on drugs directly from the source: farmers, male and female guerrillas, union organizers, indigenous communities, and many others. Beyond Bogotá is built around the eleven hours that Leech was held captive by the FARC, Colombia's largest leftist guerrilla group, in August of 2006. Drawing on unprecedented access to soldiers, guerrillas, paramilitaries and peasants in conflict zones and cocaine-producing areas, Leech's documentary memoir is an epic tale of a journalist's search for meaning in the midst of violence and poverty. This compelling account provides fresh insights into U.S. foreign policy, the role of the media, and the plight of everyday Colombians caught in the middle of a brutal war.
Co-sponsored by TransAfrica, Center for International Policy and the Institute for Policy Studies: Drug Policy Project
Book link: http://www.beacon.org/productdetails.cfm?PC=2015
For more info: www.beyondbogota.com