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Transformation in Cali, Columbia

Background of Cali- Otis states in the video “A spiritual blueprint of a community can be altered”
The video presents a picture of a community threatened by the cartel (and rightly so) that change came because of the church’s unity and prayer. That in all the years, the international organizations and law enforcement were unsuccessful, nothing could be done until intercession came. On the back cover of the video it states “Imagine a city where 60,000 Christians jam the municipal soccer stadium for all night prayer vigils every 90 days.” This is an exaggeration of what took place a few times, they do not meet every 90 days. In the Christian gathering in Cali we see flag waving, jumping, shouting, singing, costumed dancers, exuberant worshippers with displays of emotion in a football stadium filled with praying people.

Otis claims, “It lead to an absolute transformation of this city, Corruption has radically been reduced, cartels have been shattered in this city. Cali that was controlled by illegal drug lords, it is no longer “The whole spiritual atmosphere of Cali has changed” When God comes to town everything changed.

Holio Ruibal of whom is the catalyst for this transformation was gunned down in front of his church. Ruth Ruibal is now the pastor of the church and a member of The Sentinel Group. George Otis Jr. is on the board of the church in Cali, Colombia which is pastored by Ruth Ruibal. The religious report is that Columbia is 95% Roman Catholic.

Since one third of the video is devoted to Cali, we will spend the most time looking at these claims.

Claim in the Transformation video - Ruth Ruibal says, “the violence was getting worse and the church was really feeling the pressure of what was going on.” “They prayed against principalities and powers, they prayed for unity, believing God to see him move in the Church’s.” “48 hours after the first event (prayer) the daily newspaper headlined no homicides.” The video claims in 1995 there were 15 killings a day,   “United prayer events were going on, thats when we started seeing the results, and 10 days later the first drug lord fell, and God was changing the city.” (This is before the end of summer 95’).  Ruibal says “7 top drug lords 6 had fallen in the 9 months we really started praying together.” Gilberto Rodriguez-Orejuela was the first of the Cali drug lords to be arrested. Colombian police staged several simultaneous raids on June 9, 1995. Phanor Arizabaleta Arzayus surrendered to Colombian authorities on July 8, 1995. (http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/major/cali.htm)

Actual facts- We were unable to find any evidence in the paper of June (June 20, 1995 or that time period) that stated the killings had stopped. “6,500 elite commandos were dispatched to Cali with explicit orders to round up the carted ringleaders.” Just because a day of homicides ceased cannot be attributed to their prayer event. Was this a permanent change or coincidental? Statistical averages would tell you it can happen. If it stayed this way it would be a bit more believable that it was not a coincidence. Many cities with high crime go down for a time without anyone taking credit in prayer. We are not saying it can’t happen, but if it happen from God would it be only one day? What is really happening in Cali- Government reports  “Homicide rates in the city of Cali, Colombia (1994 population: 1,776,436), increased fivefold from 1985 through 1992, reaching levels of 100 per 100,000 persons. Because of this increase, in 1992 the city of Cali established the Development, Security, and Peace Program (DESEPAZ) to implement a series of strategies to prevent violence and improve security among the residents of Cali.”

“Of the 2695 total homicides during January 1993-May 1994, for 2461 (91%) no suspect was charged with the murder. For 641 (24%) of all homicides, the suspected perpetrator was identified as a “hit man” (i.e., a hired assassin) (458 {71%}), gang member (91 {14%}), or a relative/acquaintance (62 {10%}).

Firearms were banned in Cali in 1993-94 and in Bogata in 1995-97 with the result as follows: “The incidence of homicide was lower during periods when the firearm-carrying ban was in effect compared with other periods (multivariate-adjusted rate ratio, 0.86 [95% confidence interval {CI}, 0.76-0.97] for Cali, and 0.87 [95% CI, 0.77-0.98] for Bogotá). Conclusion: An intermittent citywide ban on the carrying of firearms in 2 Colombian cities was associated with a reduction in homicide rates for both cities.”

So apparently the ban in 1993-94 was already having an effect on the homicide rate well before those featured in Transformation’s implemented their prayer plan. Yet they took the credit. But has it worked?
US Drug Enforcement Agency states that nothing has changed in the drug arena. KINS reports Cali, maintains the second highest murder rate in Latin America at 112 per 100,000 people, is the traditional headquarters of one of the most powerful drug trafficking rings in Colombia and remains rife with narcotics-related violence. It is also in a region where guerrilla and right-wing paramilitary forces have become increasingly active in recent years. Pickpockets and purse-snatchers prowl downtown and armed assaults on both pedestrians and vehicles pose a high threat at night. Drug-related violence is commonplace, although it is generally quite focused and less likely to involve outsiders.

The murder rate has changed little in Columbia “With 25,660 recorded homicides in 2000 and an average of 70 killings per day, Colombia's murder rate is among the highest in the world, in line with the country's reputation as one of the world's most dangerous places.” In October 1999, Transparency International issued its annual Corruption Perceptions Index, which ranked 99 countries based on levels of corruption perceived by experts and the general public. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the least corrupt, Colombia received a score of 2.9, making it the sixth most corrupt country of those surveyed in Latin America. (Country risk reports) The city of Cali rates an 8 out of 10 for “Risk Factors” right close to Bogata in government reports.

August 2000 update: The US donated a lot of money to Colombia to fight the drugs. The guerilla are obviously not happy about this, and fights and kidnappings have been intensifying.   (http://www.poorbuthappy.com/colombia/maps/safety.html)

Cali, maintains the second highest murder rate in Latin America at 112 per 100,000 people. With 25,660 recorded homicides in 2000 and an average of 70 killings per day, Colombia's murder rate is among the highest in the world and Cali is 8 on a scale of 10. (KINS country risk reports February 12, 2001) what does this tell us? Nothings changed.

Claim in the Transformation video – The narrator states “The US drug enforcement agency called Cali cartel  the largest richest and best organized criminal organization in history.”  Previously  “It was terrible... people would die easily …people walked around full of fear.”The video claims the large cartel that controlled the town is demolished (this is true of this cartel). “6,500 elite commandos were dispatched to Cali with explicit orders to round up the cartel ringleaders.”

“It has led to an absolute transformation of this city, corruption has been reduced dramatically. The drug cocaine cartel’s have been shattered in this city.” They imply that because of this Cali is now a “safe” city, where a significant percentage of the population is now safe and revival flourishes. Instead of a city where people lived in fear, people now safely walk the streets.” “To freely walk the streets that once held so much terror is testimony to the remarkable changes that have come to Cali. Where did it all begin? This story like all transformation accounts is rooted in the hearts of intercessor men and women who had ears to hear what God was saying.”

Actual Facts- The video claims Cali exported 1,000 tons of cocaine a year to the US and Europe. Government reports say “Potential cocaine production was estimated by the U.S. Government to be 760 metric tons in 1996” for all of Columbia http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/intel/nnicc97.htm#COCAINE)  Again this is an inaccurate count for the city that is more than the whole country together.

In 1995 Peru, Bolivia, represented about 90 percent of the world's cocaine base, the remaining 10 percent was produced in Colombia.

“Official counter-narcotics efforts have done little to reduce the threat that foreign and local businesses may face from traffickers intent on using foreign firms to facilitate drug trafficking. The surrender or death of major drug leaders has not had a significant impact on drug production or exports. The death of Medellin drug cartel leader Pablo Escobar in a 1993 shoot-out with police came at a time when his once-potent paramilitary capability had been eradicated by government counter-narcotics initiatives and right-wing groups financed in part by the rival Cali cartel. Today, the Medellin cartel is all but defunct, and the Cali cartel has been virtually dismantled as well, with most of its leadership imprisoned. Nevertheless, these developments have failed to deter the emergence and growth of new, low profile, smaller-scale narcotics moguls and “mini-cartels” or decrease overall coca production.
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/intel/nnicc97.htm#COCAINE

“In 1996, the Cali drug mafia maintained primary control over cocaine trafficking to the United States, despite the incarceration of its most powerful kingpins… These gangs increased their involvement in domestic U.S. cocaine distribution as well. Incarcerated Cali drug lords, however, continued to operate their drug empires from behind prison walls ... Moreover, a new generation of relatively young North Coast, North Valle del Cauca, and Cali traffickers conducted more independent action.” “ the arrest or surrender of such major traffickers … have disrupted some Cali drug mafia drug trafficking operations. The Cali drug mafia per se, however, has not been dismantled in that Cali.” (http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/pubs/intel/cocaine.htm)

“Ultimately, with much bloodshed and sacrifice, Colombia defeated Escobar.  Then the other great Colombian trafficking ring, the Cali cartel, was taken down... Yet today, just a few years after these triumphs, Colombia is suffering political turmoil, economic free-fall, epidemic violence and massive corruption, all while producing and shipping more drugs than Escobar could have imagined in his greediest dreams.

Victory over the cartels did not stop the illegal trafficking of drugs.  Nor did it stop the corruption and violence drug trafficking breeds.  It only made these plagues worse.”

From 1995- “Over the next five years, the amount of coca grown in Colombia doubled. All this leaves Colombia as it is today, seven years after Escobar was shot dead.  The murder rate is 10 times that in the United States--on average, one person is killed every 20 minutes.” ( http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v01/n085/a11.html)

Claim in the Transformation video - Holio Ruibal stated before he was terribly shot down “The whole spiritual atmosphere of Cali has changed.” The video says Cali is now a “safe” city, where a significant percentage of the population is now safe and revival flourishes. Instead of a city where people lived in fear, people now safely walk the streets.” “To freely walk the streets that once held so much terror is testimony to the remarkable changes that have come to Cali.”

Actual Facts - The news from Colombia early this week was anything but encouraging.  Over the weekend leftist guerrillas killed six people and kidnapped several others.  Bomb attacks in Cali Colombia's third-largest city, leveled buildings near a military base and injured three people. (Fri. 09 Mar. 2001) Nothing has changed-- it has been like this for years.

News from Bogata, Columbia (LAM) -- Over 25 evangelical pastors have been killed and up to 300 churches closed in the past six months as Colombia's violence escalates, according to Rev. Hector Pardo, pastor of Bogota's Tabernaculo del Fe (Faith Tabernacle). The majority of the murdered pastors were from the Assembly of God Churches. This is not just a Christian attack, the terrorists are indiscriminate, even the Mormon churches are being bombed. (http://ldsnews.lds.net/0004/15a.html) There are approximately 129,000 members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints reside in Colombia.

Over 1,350 kidnappings have been reported so far this year in Colombia. In an effort to force the government into talks, the ELN hijacked a small commercial airliner and kidnapped the 54 crew and passengers in April. The ELN also seized more than 130 worshipers from a church mass in the southwestern city of Cali in late May.
Rev. Hector Pardo, pastor of Bogota's Tabernaculo del Fe (Faith Tabernacle). “Peace is impossible at this time in Colombia,” he said. “To stop the fighting will take either a miracle or the intervention of the Lord. We are asking Christians around the world to join us in prayer for peace and that the Lord will be glorified,” he said.(1999, LAM News Service) This is after the claims of the video.

Cali rates an 8 out of 10 for “Risk Factors” right up there with Bogata in government reports. Has it changed as claimed on the video? “Cali, which maintains the second highest murder rate in Latin America at 112 per 100,000 people, is the traditional headquarters of one of the most powerful drug trafficking rings in Colombia and remains rife with narcotics-related violence. It is also in a region where guerrilla and right-wing paramilitary forces have become increasingly active in recent years. Pickpockets and purse-snatchers prowl downtown and armed assaults on both pedestrians and vehicles pose a high threat at night. Drug-related violence is commonplace, although it is generally quite focused and less likely to involve outsiders.

It becomes quite convenient for Wagner and associates to come along after the fact and claim that it was because of prayer the city of Cali was transformed! The fact is that has not! This is what they do; after their warfare prayer any good that happens is attributed to their prayer. But what about bad things that happen? They are ignored: so much is ignored that I wonder how they could in all honesty say some of the things they have on the video. Maybe something did transpire in the Church’s but has it changed the community? Not from what we have seen, maybe it changes them and they see things differently.

Ruth Ruibal whose husband was featured on the video states in her October 1999 “I will be working with George Otis, Jr. and his Sentinel Group more regularly.  This has been a great encouragement for me as it gives a more ample context for the message of unity.” She talks about the unity of the church in Central America and Europe “The whole earth will be covered with the knowledge of His glory!” October 2000   she mentions writing a book that will be entitled “Unity of Spirit: Its Definition, Its Composition, Its Goal”– or something like that. What they may have seen is a unity that was not there before and got over encouraged which would be on the lowest common denominator. This scripture quoted is often used of kingdom now adherents when the fact is it will happen in the millennium.  The video also said that people prayed for unity. Unity in what way? Nothing was specifically said about this? From the pictures shown and what we already know of the influence of ecumenism it is probably unity based on the lowest common denominator. Nothing was said of the denominations after this “unity” was reached? The Biblical teaching is that unity in the Spirit is an automatic reality between people who are abiding in Christ. The video tells us they were united as they “ prayed against principalities and powers and for unity.” Has it worked?

Ruibal has written a book “Anointed”. In her advertisement she describes that while reading Anointed you will feel the presence and Anointing of God as you study the great works God did in the ministry of the Apostle of the Andes. I gather this would be her husband who is originally from Bolivia. I can appreciate her husband's work and that he did not die in vain, as he inspired many people-- but what does she mean by apostle? What does she mean by feeling the presence from reading a book other than the Bible? When we consider what C. P. Wagner means by this we are justified to ask these questions.

Claim in the Transformation video -In the video George Otis jr. states Cali is a “safe” city, where a significant percentage of the population is now safe and revival flourishes. Instead of a city where people lived in fear, people now safely walk the streets.”

Actual Facts- Even Ruibal’s newsletter of Ekklesia says the opposite: “Satanic groups are attacking churches and Christians, especially in Cali. Some churches have suffered repeated attacks, said Consuelo Zuluaga, a social worker of Justapaz.” A quote from the October 1999 newsletter from Ruth Ruibal “The church in Cali confirms the news that we receive through the media in the USA. Naturally speaking the political and economical situations seem to be going from bad to worse. In fact, the Sunday before I left for this trip, there was guerrilla infiltration in our church service.”

My intention is not to belittle the real work going on in Cali or smear anyone’s name but the facts from their own mouths testify against a community transformation. Has anything change significantly as they claim?

The video states in December 1995 Dr. Ruibal was killed.  In the Ruth Ruibal’s newsletters, it indicates that the owner of the land next to the church killed him over a property dispute (which, according to the Ruibal Foundation newsletters, continues to this day), but on the Ruibal Foundation website, it says that Julio was “martyred for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” The assassin of Julio has never been brought to justice, and he openly claims to have killed Julio. He owns the land right next to the church and is even threatening to kill other family members.

The tour guide for Otis stated that “the security and walls were everything for them” (the drug dealers), they had “paranoia, fear.” But Ruibals church have walls (and a 14 ft. iron gate fence) as security. Are they paranoid? No, they instead call it a revival. They did not take down the gate or wall. She writes Cali is “a city where her church must hire armed guards and where the church must be protected by barbed wired (which we understand is soon to be replaced by a 10-12 foot wall if permission is granted). Recently at another church in the city, a church bodyguard was killed when the church was attacked by guerillas protecting the drug trade. (December 1999  Volume 20 Issue 12) In her prayer request she asks for Transformation of Cali and Colombia. Why do this if this has occurred?

Here is a quote from the Dec. 1999 newsletter written by Ruth Ruibal: “On the other hand, some days ago the man who continues to threaten us (and boasts in the street about killing Julio) started a new construction right next to our property. In the past he has tried to take over our land. Our simple barbed wire fencing had been knocked down, so we began to replace it. Immediately, the man began threatening the workers and several of our church men, shouting that he would “give us problems” with 50 hit men that he claims to have. He asked if we wanted there to be another death, and added that he will get the property (the entrance to our church) and block it. We have had to hire guards just to get the work done!” “One of the best watchmen at my home will be retiring from his job at the end of the month due to threats against his life. ” Is this a city that has been transformed? Not even her own home is safe.

There is so much violence that in her August 2000 Newsletter she writes “Colombia is going through a difficult, but very special, time.  The international news is reporting the violence, corruption, guerrilla warfare, kidnapping, deaths, and unrest and if one were to evaluate the situation from a natural perspective, the only answer would seem to be to leave the country.  And over 600,000 people have left over the last months raising the total to over 2,000,000 Colombians who are now residing in other countries.

Otis comments “if this is what God is doing I want to be part of it.”   “As the kingdom of God has descended upon Cali many prominent citizens have come into a relationship with Christ…”

While I will not dispute that many have come to know the Lord and rejoice in the fact they have, the concept of the kingdom of God has descending today is completely unbiblical concept. One wonders at what he means by this, as it is repeated. We can see they mean- it was prayed in. Is it man who will bring the Kingdom to earth? Especially from spiritual mapping? The Bible tells us the Kingdom of God will be established in the Millennium. It has not descended anywhere, least of all Cali. This again is Kingdom Now Dominion language that has no reference to reality. The Kingdom of God is where God's rule is accepted and acknowledged. At present the Kingdom has nothing to do with this fallen earthly world. The Lord Jesus said my Kingdom is not of this world. He will bring in His kingdom in a future day, but we cannot bring in His Kingdom. The problem is that Jesus said he would not drink the fruit of the vine until the Kingdom is on earth.

“One troubling discovery was the cities deep involvement with the occult.” Why did they need to do spiritual mapping to find this out? This is no different than any other populated city.  The emphasis in the video is always on principalities and powers being the cause of the evil, and prayer, fasting and unity being the agent of salvation. What happened to the sinfulness of man? This all may in some way be a reflection of George Otis jr.’s theological position.
The narrator says “Ask pastors about their strategy and they say we don’t have time to plan were to busy pulling the nets into the boat.” “The spiritual atmosphere over the city changed when God's people did a prayer drive seven times around Cali by car in 1996. That's when the revival started according to Pastor Jarro Hernan Rodriguez, the Secretary of ASMICEV.” ‘Shades of Joshua at Jericho’, are we to accept a prayer circle in cars as we do prayer walking as a means to capture the city for God! If there is no strategy, then what do they mean by spiritual mapping?

While there may be a change in the Christian community in the secular nothing that has changed in the city. Whether the mayor and other influential people have become Christians is not a question. What is to be questioned is what is portrayed as a complete change in the city.

The joint prayer meetings it was stated that they prayed against the principalities and powers. Where in the Bible does it say that we should do such a thing? Nowhere! The Bible says nothing about attacking demonic strongholds in the heavenlies. We are told to “stand against the wiles of the Devil”, not launch an offensive. We are given nothing with which to return Satan’s fire we use God’s word as an offensive weapon. Just as Jesus did in his temptation with the Devil. He did not pull him down bind him or strike him. The spiritual armour that we are given is to defend ourselves. We don’t go up on a hill outstretch our hands and command God to go here or there devil bustin’.

Spiritual warfare is a personal battle and does not extend to cover unbelievers or cities. Nowhere are we told to gain cities for Christ. The Lord Jesus said my Kingdom is not of this world. He will bring in His Kingdom in a future day, but we cannot bring in His Kingdom for him. We make people citizens of His kingdom by giving them the gospel to be saved and born again by the spirit of God. When someone is born again then they become a citizen of his kingdom awaiting the king who will come and rule.

Is it a matter of interpretation? There are other communities that have rid drug cartels. The news carried that in 1995 alone, in the New York City borough of Queens, 20 high-level Colombian drug dealers were found murdered. But they have still not found a solution to the drug crimes. No one has stepped forward to claim their spiritual warfare prayer took down these men in NY. Yet when one cartel in Columbia went out (replaced of course by another) everything supposedly changed and it was from their prayer and unity. Cali is presented as the drug capitol and filled with violence until God came to town.  Hector Torres of Hispanic Intl’ ministries states God picked Cali.” If this community was dramatically altered as they claim then the evidence will be overwhelming.  We should see the opposite. We have seen there is no evidence for what they claim, but the very opposite of what THEY CLAIM. Cali is still one of the drug capitols and there is much violence and even the church where this all began fears something bad will happen pursuing protection. So this one city of which they spent the majority of the video on is unusable for the promotion of their spiritual mapping or a testimony of a transformation. In the testimonials of various men they say they have no methodology. This goes against what they are presenting to us as they teach spiritual mapping, binding and various other techniques. Otis is totally involved in the spiritual warfare movement and would not be promoting the video unless his message and others are attached to it. Make not mistake about it-- that is the ultimate purpose. Again it did not occur as claimed, so we go to the next city of transformation…