CONVIVIR (an acronym that forms the word "cohabitate" in Spanish) was a national program of cooperative neighbourhood watch groups created by a February 11, 1994 decree of Colombia's Ministry of National Defense and a law passed in the Colombian Congress, in response to growing guerrilla activity. Authorized during the government of César Gaviria but mainly developed during the administration of Ernesto Samper Pizano (1994-1998), the CONVIVIR groups quickly became controversial as it was considered to represent something of a revival of the Law 48 of 1968.^{[citation needed]} Members of some former paramilitary groups transitioned into CONVIVIR, where they were joined by newer recruits and victims of guerrilla aggression, while others, such as the ACCU, remained operating independently. The then governor of Antioquia, Álvaro Uribe Velez (who later became President of Colombia), whose father had been killed by the FARC during a kidnapping attempt in 1983, gained notoriety for his open support and promotion of the CONVIVIR at the time.

Reports argued that some CONVIVIR groups achieved results in providing security to communities and intelligence coordination to military forces, but apparently numerous members committed abuses against civilians, without a serious oversight over their operations and organization. In 1998, HRW stated that "we have received credible information that indicated that the CONVIVIR groups of the Middle Magdalena and of the southern Cesar regions were directed by known paramilitaries and had threatened to assassinate Colombians that were considered as guerrilla sympathizers or which rejected joining the cooperative groups". ^[1]

After much political debate, a November 1997 decision of Colombia's Constitutional Court stated that CONVIVIR members could not gather intelligence information and could not employ military grade weapons. Other restrictions included increasing legal supervision, and in early 1998 dozens of former CONVIVIR groups had their licenses revoked, because they did not turn in their weapons and withheld information about their personnel. Due to these measures, some gradually turned in their weapons and phased themselves out. 237 of the restricted weapons were returned to authorities by the end of 1997. Other members did not comply and later joined existing paramilitary groups. ^[2]

According to a 2007 U.S. indictment against the Chiquita Brands International fruit company, a number of payments to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia passed through an "intermediary" Convivir group which operated in the Urabá region. ^[3].

References[link]

v t e Colombian armed conflict
Participants in the Colombian armed conflict			Timeline	Key aspects
			• La Violencia (1948-1958) • Marquetalia Republic • The National Front • Dominican embassy (1980) • Palace of Justice (1985) • Patriotic Union Party extermination • Humanitarian exchange • Mapiripán Massacre (1997) • Peace process (1999-2002) • Bojayá massacre (2002) • Valle del Cauca Deputies hostage crisis (2002-2009) • El Nogal Club bombing (2003) • Parapolitics scandal (2006–7) • Operation Emmanuel • Andean diplomatic crisis (2008) • Operation Jaque	Lawsuits  • Sinaltrainal v. Coca-Cola (2001) • Rodriquez v. Drummond (2003) • Doe v. Chiquita (2007)  Kidnappings  • Kidnappings in Colombia • List of political hostages held by FARC  Illegal drug trade  • Illegal drug trade in Colombia • War on Drugs • Narcoterrorism  Government aspects  • Democratic security • Plan Colombia • Plan Patriota • Colombia–United States relations • Human rights in Colombia • Politics of Colombia
Guerrillas	Government of Colombia	Paramilitaries
• FARC-EP • ELN • EPL • List of FARC attacks Former guerrillas • M19 • MOEC • CGSB • ERP • Ricardo Franco Front • Movimiento Armado Quintin Lame Linked to • PCCC • Foro de São Paulo • Cuban revolutionaries • Provisional IRA • ANNCOL • Fighters + Lovers • Colombian drug cartels • Some politicians	Military of Colombia: National Army Air Force Navy Colombian Naval Infantry National Police Other: DAS intelligence Attorney General units Former government program • CONVIVIR Linked to • DynCorp International • United Nations • United States • European Union	• Águilas Negras • Los Rastrojos • Los Urabeños Former paramilitaries • AUC • AAA Linked to • Spearhead Ltd • Colombian drug cartels • CONVIVIR • Some Colombian military personnel • Some politicians
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This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (April 2009)

Christian Dietrich Meier Zender (born June 23, 1970) is a well-known Peruvian actor and singer in Latin America.

Biography[link]

Christian Dietrich Meier Zender was born in Lima, Peru, the youngest of four children. He is the son of Gladys Zender, Miss Universe 1957, and Antonio Meier. His father is from Peru and his mother is also Peruvian. Meier's father is currently the mayor of the San Isidro District in Lima.

Personal life[link]

He married Peruvian actress Marisol Aguirre in 1995. They met during the filming of the soap opera "Gorrión".They separated in October 2007, finalizing their divorce in November 2008.^[1] They have three children together: Stefano (born January 1996), Taira (born June 2001), and Gia (born April 2003).

He was engaged to American actress Génesis Rodríguez.

Career[link]

Musician[link]

He formed the popular Peruvian alternative-rock band Arena Hash with Pedro Suárez Vértiz, Patricio Suárez Vértiz and Arturo Pomar, in 1987. He was the keyboardist of the band in the 1980s and early 1990s. A few years later the band broke up because he was tired of it and wanted to pursued a solo career.

In 1996 Meier released an album, No Me Acuerdo Quién Fui, which produced the singles, "tus huellas entre la mías" and "Carreteras Mojadas" (Wet Highways) that got the first positions in almost all radio station charts in Peru. the album went double platinum. In 1997 began the production of its second album Primero en Mojarme, with Manuel Garrido-Lecca, wellknow musical producer that worked with in Arena Hash. In 2002 Christian produced Once Noches, probably the album with best rewards for him. It contained the singles "Alguien" and "Novia de nadie" a duet featuring Spanish singer Mikel Erentxun.

Acting[link]

Performing in soap operas and movies, he has achieved some fame in other Latin American countries

Movies[link]

• 2010: "Mar de fondo" as Jorge
• 2008: Valentino y el Clan del Can as Valentino (A Voice)
• 2005: La mujer de mi hermano as Ignacio
• 2004: Un Marciano Llamado Deseo as Jorge
• 2000: Ciudad de M as Pacho
• 1998: No se lo digas a nadie as Gonzalo
• 1994: Watchers III as The Outsider

Television[link]

• 2012: "Lynch" (2012) as Emilio Triana
• 2011: "Primera dama" (2011) as Leonardo Santander
• 2010: Alguien Te Mira as Rodrigo Quintana
• 2008: Doña Bárbara (2008/2009) as Santos Luzardo
• 2007: Zorro: La Espada y la Rosa as Diego de la Vega/ El Zorro
• 2005: La Tormenta (2005/6) as Santos Torrealba/Santiago Guanipa
• 2004: Luna, la heredera as Mauricio García
• 2003: Luciana y Nicolás as Nicolás Echevarría
• 2001: Amores querer con alevosía as Pablo Herreros
• 2001: Lo que es el amor as Efrén Villarreal
• 1999: Isabella, mujer enamorada as Fernando de Alvear
• 1999: Me muero por ti as Alfonso Hidalgo
• 1998: Luz María como Gustavo Gonzálvez
• 1997: Escándalo as Álvaro Dupont
• 1996: La Noche as Daniel Brenner
• 1996: Obsesión as Jimmy Martel/Jano
• 1995: Malicia as Francisco
• 1994: Gorrión as Gabriel Maidana

References[link]

External links[link]

• http://christianmeierzender.info
• Local Website
• msnlatino.telemundo.com Telemundo official website
• msnlatino.telemundo.com/novelas/Dona_Barbara/Doña Barbara official website
• Christian Meier at the Internet Movie Database