Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world for trade unionists. Stephanie Peacock reports on how political activists are victimised by paramilitaries and government forces
WATCHING people walking around the busy streets of Bogotá, going in and out of office blocks, shops and cafes, it is easy to forget that, despite Colombia’s beauty and wealth of natural resources, it is a country gripped by violence. In fact, Colombia has been in the throes of an armed conflict for more than 40 years.
The poverty and unrest are clear to see when you step outside the centre of the capital city. The army and police line the streets. Shantytowns line mile upon mile of hillsides where people live in constant fear and in shacks without running water or electricity.
Colombia is the most dangerous place in the world to be a trade unionist: five were killed in March this year alone. There are four million displaced people. Opposition figures and human rights activists are regularly imprisoned and even killed for speaking out against the government.
I recently visited Colombia as part of a Justice for Colombia delegation of parliamentarians and trade unionists. We had meetings with a wide range of people and groups across Colombian society: from trade unions, students and teachers to indigenous people, peasant farmers and human rights defenders. And we met senior members of the Colombian government, including right-wing President Alvaro Uribe.
We heard terrible accounts of the brutal and unlawful tactics used to suppress opposition in the country. We listened to many testimonies of murder, torture, disappearances, imprisonment and forced displacement. These accounts were clear: these atrocities are carried out with impunity by the military and state-backed paramilitary forces.
At Buen Pastor prison in Bogotá, we spoke to the women political prisoners incarcerated there. Many had been detained simply for speaking out against the government; others were held in a mass arrest to clear desirable land. Sadly, arrests and imprisonment are a risk of political involvement and many of those incarcerated have no idea when – if at all – they will be freed.
Five university students have already been killed this year. At the National University of Colombia, many are fearful of becoming involved in the student union or the societies and clubs that we would take for granted in this country.
During our visit, Hernan Polo Barrera, the leader of Sitraenal, the teachers’ union, was shot dead in front of his house. His teenage daughter, who was standing with him at the time of the attack, was badly injured.
We heard of the horrific killings and torture suffered by political activists, as well as ordinary people – peasant farmers and workers. I will never forget the look on the face of one boy as he told us through tears about the death of his father who had left one morning to go to work and never returned. He was murdered by right-wing paramilitary death squads.
The activities of the paramilitary forces are condoned and even actively supported by the government and army. These crimes are aggravated by the seeming immunity enjoyed by the perpetrators and the failure of the legal system to prosecute the killers and those who give them their orders. Instead of imprisoning the real criminals, the government is locking up trade unionists, members of the political opposition and human rights activists, as well as imprisoning and killing workers and peasant farmers in a bid to claim that the fight against insurgents is being won
There must be an immediate end to the criminalisation of legitimate and democratic opposition in Colombia. There must be support for dialogue, a peace process and an end to extrajudicial executions carried out by the Colombian military.
Until these steps are taken and while the dire human rights situation is unchanged, the British Government should withdraw all military aid and support for Colombia. Only when human and labour rights are respected in an internationally verifiable way should we contemplate returning to present levels of support.
The British Government’s recent announcement that it would reduce military aid to Colombia because of human rights concerns is welcome, but it does not go nearly far enough.
While I was struck by the appalling state of affairs in Colombia – including the vicious treatment meted out to trade unionists and political activists whose only crime is to stand up and speak out against injustice – I was also touched by the strength, kindness and determination of the people we met who continue to wage a campaign for a peaceful country. They deserve the solidarity and support of progressive people in Britain and throughout the world.
Stephanie Peacock is the youth representative on the Labour Party’s National Executive Committee
About The Author
FINALLY!!! I’D LOVE THE LATIN AMERICAN PEOPLE LIVING IN U.S. OPEN THEIR EYES AND READ THIS ARTICLE… THEY SAY THAT URIBE IS THE BEST PRESIDENT EVER …. WHEN I TALK BACK THEY CALL ME “LEFTY”
It is not posible, so many lies in a
so short space.-
All the facts mentioned can be easily verified. Organisations such as the Red Cross, CIA itself, Amnesty International, etc. have huge files on civil rights violations in Colombia.
It does not really matter, however, if a reader decides simply not to believe, out of cowardice, lazyness or prejudice. Those who count, the very people that take decisions on where the monetary aid goes, are checking this data. They are not as easy to fool as the uneducated commentors in the media.
This is the perfect example of a biased article. Many things it says are true, but this is only about 15% of the whole story. It is clear that the columnist is either a complete ignorant of the whole context of what has been going on in Colombia during the past 40 years or intentionally omits it because of her political convictions.How about a little of chronology to begin with? Or at least mention the rest of the actors of this countries neverending conflict like narcotraffic and guerrillas (FARC-ELN)?
Wow… this lady is a lying, ignorant,repugnant person. I just came back from vacationing in Colombia and the country has change a lot for good. Bogota, is the second safest capital in Central and South America after Buenos Aires. Although, there is a lot that still needs to be done, President Alvaro Uribe is on the right track to fix many of the problems Colombia is facing today.
Hats off for Stephanie and this brave article. Thanks God still there are people as her, ready to speak the truth.
How many Colombian journalists have been killed or they’had to flee away just for saying similar words? Regrettably, in Colombia if you dare to say publicly something against Uribe, the risks to be murdered are extremely high. Indeed, the polarization of the Uribe’s subject is so high, that even here in the United States, if you just mention your viewpoint criticizing softly the Uribe’s corruption in a Colombian gathering, you could be end under a storm of insults, obscenities and even death threats. Yes. I am talking about of something it’s happening right now HERE in the United States.
Can you imagine if you dare publicly to speak something against Uribe in Colombia or if you’re an Uribe’s oppositor?
Only check this figures: From 2002 until 2008, 68,000 Colombians have been killed and just the 4% the culprits were prosecuted. The other 96% rests in absolute impunity. In the same period, 4 million of poor peasants have been displaced, forced to abandone their small farms, lands and houses. But still Uribe goes to Europe or the United States, and he is condecorated……. Heil this small Colombian Fuhrer!!!!! Heil Uribe!!!
……………………………….First they picked up the commies, and I don’t care. I wasn’t a commie. After they picked up the unionists and I don’t care. I was not an unionist.
After they picked up the jewishs and I don’t care, I was not a jewish. Finally they came to pick up me ..and nobody cared. It was too late.
Meanwhile is true that the guerrilla are criminals too, but never, listen very well, never the guerrilla was even close to take the power in Colombia as the Paramilitaries got it. But now, whole Colombia has fallen in the grip of radical right wing extremists as Alvaro Uribe and his pro-paramilitary croonies. Every small or big office, Ministeries, Embassies, Militaries, Intelligence Agency of Colombia, the whole Colombian Congress, the Prosecutor Office, all, absolutely all, have been permeated for the nasty Uribe’s corruption. It’s not a secret that Uribe has a criminal file open in the United States as excollaborator of the Medellin’s Cartel and the drug kingpin Pablo Escobar. Period.
Hey Dreyfus, need to verify your numbers “4 million of poor peasants have been displaced” in the period of 2002 to 2008?? your political bias seems to be too much (leaving room for lies), forgot to mention that there is been a significant reduction of murders under Uribe. there are many things I don’t like about Uribe (and don’t want him to be reelected) but saying that you will be killed if you speak against him is a big fat lie!!!! the comment I agree the most is Fernandez.
The autor should describe in detail the cases “she’ve seen” of the “Many had been detained simply for speaking out against the government” please do so…I doubt it can be done succesfully!!! poor girl need to grow up and learn that not everybody in jail tells the truth to journalists.
The right to organize is fundamental to democracy. 2.700 trade unionists have been killed
in Colombia the last 20 years. 400 since Alvaro Uribe came to power in 2002. Almost all of
them victims of the paramilitary groups. The links between the Uribe government and the
paramilitary have been proven. 60 politicians and members of the parliament of his right
wing coalition have been indicted, half of them went to jail. It has been discovered that
the army in 7 cases since automn 2006 placed bombs in public areas in order to take the
honour afterwards of defusing them. In one case one of these bombs killed one person and
injured 19. Human rights activists claim that the the murders in Colombia – most of them
causes by the paramilitaries – and the 4 million deplaced people in the country are part
of a plan that ensures that afrocolombian and indigenous land is abandonned to be taken
over by palm oil plantations in the frame of the US-Colombian trade agreement.
A president with the highest level of acceptance in Colombia’s history over a period of seven years must be doing something good… And, to DREYfus comment about the 4 million displaced peasants… First, the number is way over inflated and second, the terrorist groups like FARC, ELN, and paramilitaries are the ones displacing the poor peasants to put preassure on the Colombian goverment by human rights organizations and the uninformed international community. Terrorist groups often find support in different ONG, which are the ones that transmit information to the international community and as a result articles like this are created.
I have to agreed, article is abously way out of line , I cannot belive that someone that just arrived to colombia can write her/his opinion on a subjet that has been huntting our People for 40 years. You need to study the history of Colombia and learn who’s really who. I would said that Colombia is the most democrated conuntry in south america, if not why don’t you travel to Venezuela where the Preisdent’s kills who ever speaks against him or Ecuador,Bolivia I think these article would suit those country’s more than Colombia.
“Many had been detained simply for speaking out against the government” WOW the diplomacy of Farc must be doing something good. This article could have been written by the same Marulanda. Alvaro Uribe after 7 years has a 80% popularity. He must be doing something right.
This article is right on point and perfectly related to the BBC’s report
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8015555.stm
Uribe’s right-wing fundamentalist supporters SOUND and ACT just like BUSH. You are with me or against me! Either you are with me or you are a TERRORIST! No room for enlighment or discussion of ideas.
As a born-and-raised Colombian, I could attest to all these facts. Nothing ever changes in this country, what’s more the country has radicalized further since Uribe came to power. In the past, members of my family and friends were harassed, persecuted and/or assassinated because of union affiliation, community organizing or simply LIBERAL (namely Democratic party in US) political affiliation.
I agree that FARC has degenerated into an outdated drug-trafficking group and needs to STOP, BUT I ALSO know that Pres. URIBE created right-wing armed militias in the 80s, which keep committing the MOST GRUESOME and RUTHLESS(chain-saw massacres and mass graves) human right violations ever in this country.
What FARC could not achieve in 40 years of armed conflict was achieved by Uribe’s drug-trafficking, right-wing militia groups in 20 years. As a matter of fact, 1/3 of Colombian congress has been shown to have paramilitary links and the great majority of municipal mayors and governors have ‘won’ elections by coercing and harassing local populations.
Colombia is a MAFIA-run state! and it’s cleat that Pres. URIBE will end up like Peru’s FUJIMORI
I can’t stop wondering who were Ms. Peacock’s informants. As far as I know the goverment provides protection (armed and with vehicles) to trade union leaders, opposition polititians, and opposition journalists like no other government in this country has ever done before. Many journalists and polititians who had to leave the country under threats during the nineties have been able to return and live in Colombia since Uribe is in power. Ms. Peacock’s article depticts how naive, hypocrat or just plain ignorant are many european so-called progressive politians.
It is unfortunate for people that have no culture understanding and yet have never been in a country to take opinion’s. I have been traveling to Colombia for business for the past 7 years and all I can say is that is has gotten better every year. Uribe’s policy is amazing it has accomplished so much from evolving out of a third world status to becoming one of the greatest country’s to live in. Look at the history of the country why is it that is has become one of the best country’s to invest?
The internal conflict that Colombia leads is necessary it is fortunate that a civi war has not erupted the gorillas need to be put away for good and like History show all great wars haver created displacement and about civil leaders and union workers it’s a mistake there is currently a very big and highly successful syndicate.
For al of those that do not believe just go to colombia the only problem is wanting to stay.
Uribe, Uribe, Uribe!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I think that this is a very good article. I live in Colombia and it is nice to see someone speaking out about what is really happening as the journalists here would never dare to do it – look how many are killed or forced to leave their homeland simply for criticising the President Uribe.
Most of the abuses in this country are commited by the army and the paramilitaries that Uribe is linked too and it is so important for people to know this as the lies told by Uribe and his supporters are normally all that is heard.
Where was that lady? I don’t think she was in Colombia, why she is not mentioning the real killers of our country? the terrorists of las FARC!!!.
Uribe has been the best president that Colombia has had so far.
What kind of help is United Kingdom giving to Colombia? I would like to know if they are helping the millions of displaced people.
If these fundamentalist right-wing supporters ONLY KNEW how REGRESSIVE and DUMB they sound to the Anglo world by defending these independently-established Human Right violations, they would probably tone it down and agree to debate the topic in a civilized way. But that is not a path they can be expected to explore…
Like someone said, Colombia is a MAFIA-RUN state and Uribe will end-up tried in court like Fujimori.
NO more little dictators in Latin America including URIBE… NO to CHANGING the Colombian Constitution (again!) so Uribe can run. FARC should cease its armed fight and become a political party!
How can one of the most popular president’s in the world that is chosen through democracy with an 75% and up approval rate be a DICTATORSHIP .
I believe that if the Colombian people are proud that is more than enough. The issue about being is sad to say but you should educate yourself before you comment on a country that is proud of itself.
About Fujimori you will see that the approval rate for his incarceration is low and that the people hope to elect his daughter president so he can be pardoned just like the great US president’s pardon criminals
This is all lies… the journalist just came to Colombia to tell her wrong point of view, or jsut visited the wrong persons who only tell lies, or probably were with the guerillas dressed as civilians who only tell lies, for the stupid foreigners who have not lived in Colombia, and only talk of things that they do not know, live or feel
Yo vivo en Colombia y puedo dar fe de que este artículo es 100% CIERTO.
I live in Colombia and ca assure you that this article is clear and thrustworthy…. We are living in a dictatorship called democracy but no one can disagree with the government.
Why you do not go to Colombia and look for yoursef all the lies that you are telling to all the ignorants that are in North America?? I live in Canada, and let me tell you that yoiu are among the most indoctinated people on Earth. God Bleess Uribe
Mr. Lorenzo Arias, so far not a single one of the forists who criticize this article has used an elevetad tone or been uncivilized in the debate. I think the only one who is being disrepectful is you with expressions like MAFIA-RUN state or suggesting that those who appreciate Uribe’s efforts are all a REGRESSIVE and DUMB bunch of fundamentalist criminals with whom it is just impossible to speak in a civilized manner. Again I ask…who’s the one who is being impolite?
Mr.Miguel2,
You are misleading. How can you say that journalists in Colombia do not dare to speak their opinions. If I was one of them and read your words I would be terribly offended. Do you think Maria Jimena Dussan, Daniel Coronell, Daniel Samper Pizano, Pedro Medellin, Claudia Lopez, Cecilia Lopez, Antonio Caballero, Felipe Zuleta, Alfredo Molano, Ramiro Bejarano, Ivan Cepeda, Piedad Cordoba, Carlos Gaviria, Carlos Lozano and a long etc. are censored in any manner by the government?
She’s absolutely right……..I’m Colombian and obviously here in Bogotá everything looks fine, but the truth is that Uribe’s regime is corrupted, criminal, and cruel, he’s the worst president we have ever had.
How can uribe be the worst president I guess your a guerilla terriost or the opposition either or it doesn’t matter you only count for the 15% of the country. Yes 80% of colombians love uribe and the positive change he has brought!!!!
80%? Smell the coffee, buddy. You believe your own lies.
(PART I)Fernandez,
You must be deluding yourself in thinking that this forum is civilized. Your lack of careful reading comprehension shows that you and your buddies are disturbingly misogynistic, fearfully aggressive and incoherent. First of all I AM a female, LorenzA (not Lorenzo) so please adress me and other women accordingly.
To quote you, “so far not a single one of the forists who criticize this article has used an elevetad tone or been uncivilized in the debate.” Gladly, the whole world is watching and it has not been brain-washed or in Uribe’s bubble most Colombians live in. Let’s see what has been written above:
Your own words: “the columnist is … a complete ignorant”
David hatefully said: The article’s author is a “lying, ignorant, repugnant person”
Rodrigo condescendingly stated: The author is a “poor girl (who) need to grow up and learn.”
Milton patronizingly asserted: “You (the author) need to study the history of Colombia and learn who’s really who.” I was born and grew up in Colombia so I know my Colombian history, but I profoundly believe that Pres. Uribe harasses, stomps and walk over the check-and-balance democratic process and the opposition with populist techniques.
Continues..
Sorry LorenzA, I didn’t write Lorenzo to offend your woman condition….I just think that your first post, in bold, was kind of aggressive. I think the forum is far way more civilized if compared to those of El Espectador, Semana or El Tiempo. To be honest, what bothered me is that in your commentary you do exactly what you criticize. You are being impolite. Now, in your second post you do the same but in a more polite manner.But you are also being condescending and patronizing with the deluded, brain-washed, living-in-a-buble Colombians. To end, I respect your opinion about Uribe’s tactics, and I believe you know Colombian history but the author of the article definitely doesn’t.
Lorenza, reading again your second post I just realized that you are actually insulting me. Why do you generalize in such way with expressions like me and “my buddies”, please show me where have I have been fearfully aggressive and incoherent. I don’t think qualifying the columnist as an ignorant is agressive at all. Last but not least, I am not a mysoginist, I just made a mistake. Why are you so angry?
(PART II)It’s also true that FARC has committed gross atrocities, but this fact does not PRECLUDE all systematic HR violations such as peasant massacres, extra-judicial executions of Soacha’s youth (etc) and intimidation and forced disappearances directed at members of the opposition, journalist, community leaders et al, conducted by the military, right-wing armed militias with the nod of the Commander-in-Chief, Pres. Uribe.
If that were the case, US’s Abu Ghraib and Guantanamo torture and HR violation scandals, could be justified and explained away.
Additionally, when one can not express one’s thoughts in a coherent, sophisticated and non-confrontational way, one carries the risk of sounding REGRESSIVE and DUMB. That is just a fact.
Lorenza, there you go again. You were doing perfectly well until your last paragraph. So, you mean that in order for a person to express his/her opinion and not be called names like REGRESSIVE and DUMB (fyi, capitals in forums are the equivalent to shouting, but I suppose you know that, so you are actually shouting at people) one has to be coherent, sophisticated and non-confrontational, and you claim that to be a fact. Now you are just being plain fascist. Last, it seems you are the kind of persons (following your example of generalizing) that only likes to hear or look at what he/she wants. Maybe you are the one who likes living in bubbles. For referring to FARC you just limit your self to call there acts “gross atrocities”, but are very detailed in what the other actors of the conflict have inflicted on the population. You talk about populist tactics, but seem to be okay when men like Hugo Chavez, Rafael Correa, Evo Morales, Daniel Ortega and even Barack Obama use them. But, hey, that’s politics…that’s what politicians do for a living…give me an example where a polititian doesn’t promise this world and the other just to gather some votes….I’m sorry, but don’t be so naive….You’re starting to sound like those danish kids who printed T-shirts of the FARC in order to raise $5000 dollars “for the cause”.
<(Part III) Smoke screens are always a good way to divert attention, but I’ll stick to the subject.
The current Colombian government is a systematic Human Rights PERPETRATOR and a MAFIA-RUN STATE as evidenced here:
Colombia Drug Lord ‘Funded Uribe’ - http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8015555.stm
Colombian Militia Boss: We Burned Hundreds of Bodies - http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=333321&CategoryId=12393
Human Rights Concerns in Colombia-
http://www.amnestyusa.org/annualreport.php?id=ar&yr=2008&c=COL
Colombia: End Threats to Unionists, Rights Workers –
http://www.hrw.org/americas/colombia
Terror, Extra-judicial Executions and Disappearances in Colombia –
http://www.derechos.org/nizkor/colombia/eng.html
Colombia Human Rights Report 2008 –
http://www.cpt.org/work/colombia/human_rights/2008
You may be entitled to your opinion, but NOT to your own facts.
LorenzA, forgot to tell you: Of course, you are absolutely right that the actions of some criminals do not preclude the actions of the others. Nobody is saying that. The problem with “you and your buddies” is that you are always omitting the FACT that left-wing radicals like FARC are also systematic HR violators, they’ve massacred peasants and indigenous, intimidate, kidnap and/or dissapear those who oppose them (including community leaders, trade unionists, journalists, polititians, and so on and so forth) with the nod of many polititians and NGO’s in Colombia and around the world, like commanders-in-chief Hugo Chavez or Fidel Castro or the kids of the T-shirts (Fighters and Lovers?) . You guys don’t entering into these kinds of details, and since you don’t, you “carry the risk” of being labeled “guerrillera”, just as “you and your buddies” label Uribe’s followers “paracos” “motisierreros”….. come on.. you name it.
Fernandez: It happens I’m not so polite as Lorenza. For me you´re a stupid moron that falled in love with Uribe. Period. For 38 million of Colombians, Alvaro Uribe Velez is a drug dealer, corrupt politician and a coward assassine.
Perhaps you never read the DEA list with the 104 more notorious drug dealers in 1991. Your criminal and obnoxious President appears in the number 82. It´s not my invention. You can write to the NSA in Washington DC. It´s public record.
As Governor of Antioquia, Uribe was the planner and main supporter of the massacre in El Aro. However, smartly evil, he put “in charge” of the criminal operation his Secretary of Government and closed friend, Pedro Juan Moreno Villa. He was killed 3 years ago, when his chopper lost the propela already in the air. Everything indicated it was a sabotage. Indeed, very convenience for Uribe. No witness…….
A couple months ago, it was murdered a priest, former Uribe’s confessor in Medellin…….3 weeks ago, it was killed the Paramilitary Villalba, who pointed his finger toward Uribe as author intelectual of the massacre in El Aro……A Paramilitary named Job, was killed just one weeks after he was illegaly visiting the Nariño’s House….and the deaths continue counting.
Dreyfus, what a compelling ammount of evidence!!! What are you waiting for to go to the Courts? But I don’t think you’ll do it… you probably are just one more of Uribe’s hitmen that didn’t get his pay and is very pissed. Moreover, following your logic it seems that the next dead is going to be you. You know too much, and it all points out that you have evidence of what you say because you actually have been witness of all these atrocities. So check out your helicopters propeller (propeller no propel, bobo pirovo)next time you go for a ride. By the way, the past tense of fall is not falled, it’s fell. De manera, ya que ud. es el que le esta poniendo el tono al pseudodebate este, pedazo de guevon, porque mas bien no me habla en espanol con eso nos insultamos mas sabroso si de eso es que se trata… vale? Oiga, de donde saca tanta basura? No le da verguenza escribir tanta carajada junta? No le da pena con la gente hacer tanta conjetura pendeja? Se le va a caer la mano de tanto pajearse esa cabeza, oiga!!!
Ok let someone name better president than Uribe. Look at his progress from his first to present it will show a constant progress in al issues from tourism both national and international, unemployment, kidnappings, murders etc. How can you forget the style of living of Colombia in the 90’s???? During his period the most dangerous criminals have been put away. If you can prove that we have had no progress and that we were better as a country seven years ago I’ll listen but until then visit Colombia for buisness or vacation and your opinion will change as you will no longer encounter a third world country. And to those that say uribe is a paramilitary you should read why they were actually created and then understand the death of CCG and the process of Paz y justicia…..
Soy admirador de nuestro president igual que la mayoria de los colombianos miren las encuestas, visiten Colombia y dejen de rajar de la patria.
Aunque no es perfecto que politico en la historia del Mundo lo ha sido?
Como dice en el comentario de c patino desde su primer dia al mandato todo el pais ha mejorado vengan y conozcan no critiquen a su pueblo.
JAJAJAJA
yes i’m proud:
-of our president
-Of the influx of money the cartel generate
-of the bubble we live in
-of being and amazing country
To be sincere the world must know
If it wasn’t for all of you who snorted cocaine and gut junked on crack maybe colombia wouldn’t have so many issues.
Because in colombia we do not snort cocaine and crack jaja is does not exist
And yes it comes from the mafia of Italy, Japan, USA, Great Britain, Spain, France, Russia, Ireland,Morroco,Mexico, Germany and others
who develpoed vast corrupt networks
You should all worry about you own issues and about how your decisions affect other country and stop exploting third world country’s look what the world has done to china have you ever seen the living standards they are summited to and yet your house is full of MADE IN CHINA, VIETNAM,INDONISEA ETC
At least we live in country were our president has a great aprroval rating that at moments has been up to 80%.
Dreyfus
Yea go to Colombia we do defend our President because we are proud to live in a country he has made better it is very dificult for those who have not been.Year to year nothing but progress
URIBE URIBE
PS nobody is perfect
This is the Cherry on Top: After an exhaustive many years long investigation and full documenting, the Colombian Attorney General has presented evidence that Pres. Uribe’s state apparatus DAS (the Colombian CIA or MI5) was put-up for Paramilitary’s use.
The state apparatus funded persecution, fostered harassment and provided state-secret intelligence files on Human Rights leader and University Professor Correa D’Andreis, several Union members and community organizers, to the right-wing armed militias to cold-bloodily assassinate these people with opposing views, as recently as late 2004.
Click here for report in Spanish report on Colombian State Apparatus Responsible for Assasination of Opponents
It’s clear that the article’s author, Ms. Peacock, a member of the British Labour Party, has zoomed into the important, factual and pressing issue of systematic, state-sponsored HR violations in Colombia.
The fact that Colombian people perceive that the economy and security have improved is just a perception. Overall unemployment is at 13% and climbing; Tolima’s state capital is at 20%. Security has improved for people who own land and ranchs located immediately outside the major cities, but not for the average poor Colombian.
Now, two ‘rights’ (perceptions) don’t make a ‘wrong’ (Sponsoring HR violations).