A Human Rights Watch (HRW) report published yesterday highlighted the resurgence of criminal groups linked to Colombia’s rightist paramilitaries.The HRW study entitled points out the crime and abuses by criminal groups that have emerged from the demobilization of the country’s AUC paramilitaries between 2003 and 2006. Most of the 30,000 demobilized soldiers have never really left the AUC structure and new recruits have taken their place according to the
scathing report.
The report also warned about the sharp increase in violence in urban areas as a result of paramilitary successors and comes after public backlash against president Alvaro Uribe’s unusual plan to pay Medellin schoolchildren as informants.
As to be expected the government’s reply was to strongly denounce the report; a Defense Ministry statement claimed “Colombian paramilitaries have been extinguished.” Such a shortsighted view was rebutted by HRW:
"Whatever you call these groups - whether paramilitaries, gangs, or some other name - their impact on human rights in Colombia today should not be minimized," said José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch. "Like the paramilitaries, these successor groups are committing horrific atrocities, and they need to be stopped."The HRW report comes at a sensitive time for a proposed U.S.-Colombia free trade pact that has been stalled due to the concern of Democratic lawmakers over violence and human rights abuses.
Image- CBS News (“A member of the right-wing United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) raises his weapon during a demobilization ceremony in Tibu, northeast of Bogota, December 10, 2004.”)
Online Sources- UPI, CNN, Human Rights watch, Colombia Reports, Reuters, El Espectador
2 comments:
Big Gift that Obama and Uribe give to Chavez - Is Latin America becoming the Land of Super Idiots ?? - Sending poor Colombians to die in Afghanistan
As if Chavez wasn't enough to create idiotic trouble in Latin America.
I just learned that Colombia ( that is President Alvaro Uribe ) is going to send troops to combat in Afghanistan.
I can not imagine something more stupid or a greater gift to Chavez Propaganda of destabilization of Latin America.
This shows the Colombian Government in the Worst Possible Light. With an internal conflict tha has not finished and sending troops for combat in a Foreign extreme far away nation, where there are no interests and where they are going to be killed miserably and uselessly to please a guy that is becoming megalomaniac ( Alvaro Uribe ).
Those troops are needed at home to fight against guerrillas, police the nation criminals and narcos, remove the thousands of land mines in Colombian land, etc ...
I can not imagine something more absurd and idiotic.
Fortunately the Constitutional Courts are opposing Uribe and may sink the Referendum, the Referendum for a Third Presidency is becoming unpopular and it needs a threshold that is very difficult to achieve ( Uribe suffered a defeat in another Referendum because people stayed at home to sink his projects ! )
Uribe is also commiting many mistakes and managing Health Care as a despot by decree. The Agricultural Subsidies of Uribe are a Big Corruption. His friends and cronies are subsidized for Big Farms. Nothing for the poor guy.
The Future of Foreign Policies :
Prophesizing.com
Vicente Duque
There are currently about 120 Colombian soldiers serving under NATO in Afghanistan. Their focus is on landmine removal and combatting drug trafficking.
Colombia Reports
Colombia a model of success for Afghanistan, says minister
By Elyssa Pachico
January 27 2010
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/7876-colombia-a-model-of-success-for-afghanistan-says-minister.html
I am beginning to look to the Colombian Government as 50% evil and 50% Imbecility.
A third term for Uribe would be catastrophic. A tropical Geoge W. Bush ??
The Future of Foreign Policies :
Prophesizing.com
Vicente Duque
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