<nettime> Y2K-compliant guerrillas

["nettime's_roving_reporter" <nettime@bbs.thing.net>]

<http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/world/americas/newsid_576000/576212.stm>

   Thursday, 23 December, 1999, 11:52 GMT

   Colombia's rebels ready for Y2K

   Rebel forces Colombia's rebels have upgraded their software
   By Jeremy McDermott in Colombia
   

   Colombian Marxist rebels have announced they are Y2K ready, unlike the
   Colombian government which is scrambling to beat the end of year
   deadline.
   
   The 17,000-strong Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC,
   which control almost 40% of the country, have pronounced themselves
   ready for the turn of the millennium.
   
   According to Juan, the FARC systems manager, based in the massive
   guerrilla safe haven granted by the government for peace talks, the
   rebel's computers have been upgraded with Windows 2000 and will slip
   into the new millennium without a hitch.
   
   Hi-tech rebels
   
   This is no idle boast for a guerrilla organisation that earns over
   $600m annually, according to official US estimates.
   
   As well as managing a massive financial portfolio, the guerrillas have
   complex intelligence databases and information on kidnappings,
   according to military sources.
   
   With satellite telephones connected to laptop computers, guerrillas
   are able to maintain internet access even in the most remote jungle
   camps.
   
   Government plans for chaos
   
   The Colombian Government, however, has admitted that its social
   security database, including health records and pensions, is only 70%
   ready.
   
   Authorities are even issuing January's pay checks for government
   workers a month early to cover any glitch the system experiences.


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