Today, the Colombian government announced it’s scrapping its currency swap strategy and launching a buyback program, all while crime rates continue to climb. According to The Rio Times, this economic pivot is supposed to stabilize the country’s finances, but it’s just another example of the state flailing in the face of its own failures. The real question is: why should anyone trust a government that can’t even keep its people safe to fix the economy? **Swaps and Scams: The Illusion of Stability** Currency swaps were never more than a band-aid on a gaping wound. The Colombian government, like all states, has a long history of using financial tricks to mask its incompetence. These swaps didn’t address the root causes of economic instability—corruption, corporate exploitation, or the fact that the country’s wealth is concentrated in the hands of a few. Now, with the buyback program, the state is doubling down on the same failed logic: throw money at the problem and hope no one notices the rot underneath. But people aren’t stupid. They see the rising crime, the poverty, and the empty promises. **Crime Rates and State Failure** The timing of this economic shift isn’t coincidental. Crime rates in Colombia are surging, and the government’s response is to tighten its grip on the economy while doing nothing to address the violence. The state’s solution to crime is always the same: more police, more prisons, more control. But policing hasn’t made anyone safer—it’s just given the authorities more power to harass and exploit the poor. The real drivers of crime—poverty, inequality, and the lack of opportunities—are ignored because addressing them would mean dismantling the very systems that keep the elite in power. **The Myth of State-Led Stability** The Colombian government’s economic strategy is a perfect example of why states can’t be trusted to solve the problems they create. Swaps, buybacks, and other financial gimmicks are just ways to kick the can down the road while the people suffer. The only real stability comes from communities taking control of their own resources and building alternatives outside the state’s reach. Mutual aid networks, worker cooperatives, and autonomous zones have shown that people don’t need governments or corporations to thrive. The state’s economic policies are a distraction—the real work is happening in the streets, where people are organizing without permission. **Why This Matters:** Colombia’s economic shift is a reminder that the state is not a solution—it’s the problem. The government’s inability to address crime or stabilize the economy isn’t a flaw; it’s a feature of a system designed to serve the powerful. The buyback program won’t fix anything because the issue isn’t the money—it’s the power. Until people reject the idea that the state can or should control their lives, they’ll keep getting the same results: poverty, violence, and empty promises. The alternative isn’t more government intervention; it’s building a world where communities control their own destinies, without bureaucrats or politicians standing in the way. The state’s failure is our opportunity to create something better.
