Documentaries
What happens when peace breaks out? That is the question for Colombia with Simon Reeve (Prime, Sunday, 7.30pm). After Russia, which was no picnic at times, the intrepid Reeve ventures into one of the most dangerous countries in the world. The South American republic has undergone 50 years of war and Reeve wants to nd out if there is a real chance of peace since guerrilla army Farc laid down its arms last year.
It’s certainly not a tourist travel show: in the jungle, Reeve interviews El Médico, one of the leaders of Farc, and asks him if they will keep their
promises.
The irony is that, if Farc abandons the countryside, powerful criminal gangs formed out of far-right paramilitary groups will ll the vacuum. Now, their main reason for being is the cocaine trade. The Colombian army also has to tackle illegal gold mining.
Reeve does nd some hope in Medellín, once the stronghold of notorious drug lord
Pablo Escobar. Reeve investigates changes in the city that have made it one of the liveliest and creative in Colombia.
The Beatles were so big in America that The Sixties (Prime, Tuesday, 8.30pm) is devoting a whole episode to the “British invasion”. American culture was changed by four lads from Liverpool, and they paved the way for other acts such as the Rolling Stones, the Yardbirds and the Kinks.