One Hundred Years of War by Luis Belisario Becerra Jimenez - Book Review

 One of the most well-known characters in contemporary Colombia is Luis Belisario Becerra Jimenez. A former guerrilla who fought together with the FARC from the 1980s, he went into exile and settled in Spain, living there for the next 25 years. He joined a range of artists, writers that have come to signify Colombia in the International Book Prize Festival in Bogota. This talk with him, originally published in Spanish, was translated into English by Paul Johnson.

Why did you opt to write this? I thought it was intriguing to read about someone who had experienced what I had. He had a lot of respect for the guerilla groups which were combating the authorities. He said that the war was happening in a parallel to what had been happening in Spain, in the feeling that there were individuals who were killed by the authorities but people who joined the revolution didn't suffer such fates. It was these kind of problems that motivated me to write this book.

Who are you? -This is the matter that many writers ask when they've an idea that might like to turn their books into a novel. My name is Luis Belisario Becerra Jimenez and I am a retired detective. I had been assigned to the Intelligence Division of the Attorney General's office as a private detective. From that place, I worked on a great deal of missions regarding the war. I functioned as an advisor throughout the peace negotiations between the FARC and the Colombian Government.

What happened in your lifetime? -I was born in Bogota, the third biggest city of Colombia. I Also Have lived in New York and Virginia luis belisario becerra jimenez is a character in the tv show La Leyenda de San Pedro de Alcantara. He's an illegal immigrant from Mexico who arrives at the border town of Tijuana, Mexico to function as a drug dealer. The station that he works for, TV Mole, has him working as a reporter for them. But he soon starts to change his thoughts about working to get the station when he sees how much he and his loved ones are suffering in life. He decides to help his cousin Mar Diaz find his wife and son, Estrella, who are missing after going out together 1 night. Meanwhile, the Estrella's buddy, Armando, joins forces with a Mexican drug lord,'' Jose Maran, to help them find their nearest and dearest.

Unfortunately, things take a turn for the worse when a car bomb explosion kills Jose Maran and injures Armando. Consequently, Jose flees to Laredo, where he meets Diego. They become fast friends and spend the next few months helping each other out with their troubles, while Estrella, who is from a poor family, which makes it through school and ends up living on the streets due to drug trafficking. Meanwhile, Luis and Diego continue to fight with drugs and end up getting separated.

Eventually, Estrella becomes pregnant and gives birth to her son, Joaquin. She also becomes a drug lord herself, using her connections to get medication into the corner of the city where she resides. After she realizes that the drugs are hurting people, she tells her cousin about her plans to run for president against Jose Maran; nevertheless, his relations with Jose along with other politicians sets her at a big disadvantage.

When Joaquin dies through the effort, Estrella becomes the Democratic nominee and becomes the first woman President of the Latin American continent. But she's shot and killed by sniper fire when visiting an orphanage. With the help of her loyalists (like Diego), Estrella is able to rally the citizens and soldiers to help her get elected. However, as the war wears on throughout the nation, both sides become enemies and Estrella's political opponents begin to assault her family.

Meanwhile, a fresh group of terrorists called the Guerillas also wish to attack Estrella; therefore her daughter Flora proceeds to Los Baqueros to find out what she can about her mom. Meanwhile, Joaquin is growing more leery of his own household, which could have something to do with the fact that he has lost contact with his father, Estrella, over the years. Finally he discovers that Estrella was working as a consultant for a drug business in Mexico, and the firm has sent her to a secret assignment to protect the Mexican State out of terrorists. Since the two families become enemies, the war quickly expands a high-tech arena of computer-generated destruction as Diego continues to fight his own battles within his own head.

In general, Actors: Jimenez plays the role of a strong anti-hero and one of the most likeable characters in the movie. He's got exceptional facial expressions and also has a way with his voice which makes you want to sit right up and keep reading regardless of what happens. Luis Belisario is another talent worth mentioning, this film will stick around your head long after the credits roll - and that's as it's a great movie all the way around.. I served two years in the Peace Corp.. Throughout this time, I met and married a Colombian lady, Viaje. Through her, I have to know a lot of people in Colombia, particularly the guerillas who fought the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FCAV) throughout the 1980s.

What did you learn? -I've been involved in many cases, both military and criminal, through out my life. Through reading this book, I've gained insight and perspective about some of the unfortunate war events which took place. Through this novel, I heard about a few of the unsavory and downright immoral acts which happened during the war.

Was your husband involved in any war? -I had been wed to a soldier and my husband was not. I only discovered later on through his attorney that he was in the middle of one. Was he with the enemy with the liberating army? Did he die in the war or was a prisoner of war?