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Lo que no se tocaba era la legalización económica

English translation: ( euphemism for laundering etc. )

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:legalización económica
English translation:( euphemism for laundering etc. )
Entered by: Bubo Coroman (X)

11:01 Dec 27, 2010
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
International Org/Dev/Coop / infringements of human rights in Colombia
Spanish term or phrase: Lo que no se tocaba era la legalización económica
I have included the whole paragraph as it is all relevant context. I understand "bienes" as the assets of the imprisoned paramilitary person but don't understand what the rest of the sentence refers to. Many thanks in advance.

Y hay otra etapa de legitimación política y económica, en la que se sitúa al presidente Uribe y en la que se produce la mal llamada Ley de Justicia y Paz elaborada por los asesores de los paramilitares. Esta cuarta etapa busca legalizar el paramilitarismo, de modo que frente al riesgo de juicios internacionales se necesitaba que los paramilitares pagaran en Colombia. La estrategia consistía en que el paramilitar, que ha matado a miles de personas, se acoja a la Ley de Justicia y Paz, con la que en un máximo de ocho años de cárcel paga sus delitos y queda blindado ante la justicia internacional, ya que no se puede juzgar a una persona dos veces por el mismo delito. Además, por buena conducta le pueden rebajar un año y por colaboración con la justicia la condena se puede quedar en la mitad, lo que supone que en dos o tres años puede quedar libre. ***Lo que no se tocaba era la legalización económica*** de sus bienes. Y para todo esto tenían el control del congreso, para hacer leyes que les favoreciesen.
Bubo Coroman (X)
What was not affected was the legalization (laundering) of their assets
Explanation:
I think "legalización económica de bienes" must refer to money laundering, obviously a huge issue in relation to the Colombian paramilitaries who are deeply into the drugs business. I take it to mean that the provisions of the Justice and Peace process do not affect that aspect.

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Note added at 50 mins (2010-12-27 11:51:40 GMT)
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Thanks, Deborah. I would have posted some links, but I'm a bit busy this morning!

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Note added at 2 hrs (2010-12-27 13:52:59 GMT)
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Maybe something like "What was left untouched was..." or "Nothing was done to interfere with..." might go some way to meeting Yaiza's point about the tone. I think "They were left in peace to get on with..." would be over-interpreting.
Selected response from:

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 04:06
Grading comment
many thanks to both who contributed, I did put "laundering" to make the meaning clear as I couldn't understand the sentence at all until it was explained to me.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
3 +3What was not affected was the legalization (laundering) of their assets
Charles Davis
4However, the legalization of their assets was left untouched.
Maria Arzayus


Discussion entries: 4





  

Answers


39 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5 peer agreement (net): +3
What was not affected was the legalization (laundering) of their assets


Explanation:
I think "legalización económica de bienes" must refer to money laundering, obviously a huge issue in relation to the Colombian paramilitaries who are deeply into the drugs business. I take it to mean that the provisions of the Justice and Peace process do not affect that aspect.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 50 mins (2010-12-27 11:51:40 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Thanks, Deborah. I would have posted some links, but I'm a bit busy this morning!

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 hrs (2010-12-27 13:52:59 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

Maybe something like "What was left untouched was..." or "Nothing was done to interfere with..." might go some way to meeting Yaiza's point about the tone. I think "They were left in peace to get on with..." would be over-interpreting.

Charles Davis
Spain
Local time: 04:06
Native speaker of: English
PRO pts in category: 56
Grading comment
many thanks to both who contributed, I did put "laundering" to make the meaning clear as I couldn't understand the sentence at all until it was explained to me.
Notes to answerer
Asker: thanks Charles, you are conscientious backing up your answers with detailed explanations and references but with this one I understand the meaning now without you having to say any more!

Asker: It's very hard to make the meaning of the sentence clear when it's so short, especially as it deals with a different subject from the rest of the paragraph, but what I have put provisionally is " No probes were conducted into the laundering of his assets". The tone has to be neutral otherwise its factual value will simply be dismissed.


Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)
agree  franglish
1 hr
  -> Thanks, franglish :)
neutral  Y. Peraza: That's the meaning, but not the tone: el original tiene un tono de rabia y casi burla que se pierde en esta traducción. Pero claro, cómo ponerlo en inglés... He estado pensando en ciertas opciones pero no me convence ninguna! :-S
1 hr
  -> Gracias, Yaiza :) Creo que la rabia y la burla están implícitas en el contenido, pero tal vez convenga buscar otro verbo para "tocar"...
agree  Mónica Algazi: What was left untouched...
3 hrs
  -> Gracias, Mónica :)
agree  Thayenga: untouched
3 hrs
  -> Thanks, Thayenga :)
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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
However, the legalization of their assets was left untouched.


Explanation:
The comments are all appropriate. I would leave the 'laundering' out because it would not apply in all cases. As a comment... the sense to me is that although their assets were not legalized, they were not taken away from them either, therefore they didn't lose them.

Maria Arzayus
United States
Local time: 19:06
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Spanish
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