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Columbian Atrocities

Robin | 13.05.2003 10:20

Disturbing

Colombia: Hostage Deaths Underscore Guerrilla Abuse
(Washington, May 5, 2003) -- The deaths of two well-known Colombian political figures underscores the need for Colombian guerrilla forces to cease kidnapping and return all hostages immediately and safely to their families, Human Rights Watch said today. The two men, held by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP), were reported killed near Urrao, Antioquia, after a rescue attempt by government forces.

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"It is past time for the armed groups that use kidnapping to release safely the hundreds of Colombians and others who remain in captivity."
José Miguel Vivanco
Executive Director
Americas Division
Human Rights Watch

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Guerrillas seized former Defense Minister Gilberto Echeverri and Antioquia governor Guillermo Gaviria on April 22, 2002, as the two were engaged in efforts meant to bring peace to Colombia. During his time as Defense Minister, Echeverri met several times with Human Rights Watch and worked to reform abusive military policies.

"The onus for these death lays squarely on guerrillas, who held them hostage for over a year," said José Miguel Vivanco, executive director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch. "It is past time for the armed groups that use kidnapping to release safely the hundreds of Colombians and others who remain in captivity."

The two men were found dead after an apparent rescue attempt by government forces. The exact circumstances of their deaths is still unclear.

The FARC-EP has a horrendous record of kidnapping civilians. The nongovernmental organization País Libre, which documents kidnapping, says that the FARC-EP is responsible for at least 182 kidnappings in 2003.

Vivanco called on the Colombian authorities to investigate these deaths fully and ensure that all those responsible are brought to justice.

Robin

Comments

Hide the following 9 comments

About time too!

13.05.2003 12:19

About time somebody wrote about the autrocites that the FARC committ. There has been so much stuff doucumented on Indymedia about the crimes comitted by goverment forces, but no one seems to acknowelge that the other side is just as bad, in fact, there has been articles appearing on the newswire in SUPPORT of this murderous group. Maybe people will read this and think twice before expressing their support for the FARC and other so-called 'armed resistance groups'.

Then again, maybe not.

Thomas J

Sorry, but...

13.05.2003 12:39

I'm sorry, and I know that one person's terrorist is another's freedom fighter, but FARC are simply NOT "just as bad" as Colombia's extreme right wing government or its officially-sanctioned murderous paramilitaries.

FARC do not target ordinary working people or trade unions.

In particular they do not issue death threats (and often more than threats) against university lecturers and teachers trying to educate the poor, claiming that they are now all "military targets."

(Ain't nothin' more dangerous than an educated working class.)

And most of all, they are not encouraged/funded/trained by the CIA and Uribe's Pinochet-style government.

If you lived in a country where you could be shot dead with the president's approval just for asking for decent pay or fresh drinking water, you might not be so sanctimonious about armed resistance.

Viva the FARC freedom fighters! Don't believe the hype! Down with Uribe!

Mr Guevara

Not quite true, Thomas J

13.05.2003 13:16

FARC are certainly nasty, but the paramilitaries are much worse -Human Rights Watch, quoted above, will happily tell you that something like 80-85% of the atrocities committed in Columbia are committed by the paramilitaries, with about 10-15% by FARC/ELN and the remainder by the Columbian goverment proper.

Those paramilitaries are probably receiving the same sort of aid from the Columbian army that the British FRU in Northern Ireland gave the UDA and UVF-(such as hit lists of terrorists, political activists, and even lawyers, and support on the ground such as moving regular police forces out of the area where an assassination is taking place) - after all, British Special Forces are in Columbia right now, training the army in 'counter-insurgency' - which is the jargon term for 'our' terrorism.

The usual apology for this terrorism is that it's
done to protect us from the terrorism done by those other guys- though the casualty figures in Columbia, as in Northern Ireland put the lie to this - (In Northern Ireland, most of the civlian casualties were caused by our Loyalist allies).

The real problem with Columbia, like most of Latin America, is to do with international capital and globalisation. Local bosses there are so desperate to attract foreign money and foreign customers that they're willing to turn Columbia into a slaughterhouse in the name of making it a 'favourable investment climate' for western businesses.
Why else are trade unionists routinely assassinated?
Addressing the roots of the problem rather than pointing fingers at who's committing what atrocities is the way towards peace in Columbia.

Aim Here

Colombia: Car Bomb Deliberately Targets

13.05.2003 14:13

Colombia: Car Bomb Deliberately Targets Civilians

(New York, February 8, 2003) The people responsible for planning and carrying out car bombings that deliberately target civilians must be brought to justice, Human Rights Watch said. In Colombia, a car bomb that was detonated in the parking area of a social club in the capital on February 7 killed at least 25 and wounded more than 120.

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HRW Press Release, December 17, 2002

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HRW Press Release, September 5, 2002

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"The use of these tactics merits the condemnation of the world. They may even merit the attention of the International Criminal Court."
José Miguel Vivanco
Executive Director
Americas Division
Human Rights Watch

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Authorities reported that attackers detonated a 200-kilo car bomb at 8 p.m., as members and guests at the El Nogal social club celebrated a wedding and a children's party, and others dined or exercised in the facility's gym. According to reports, several of the dead were passersby on Carrera Séptima, the busy artery in front of the building. No one claimed responsibility for the attack.
"The use of these tactics merits the condemnation of the world," said José Miguel Vivanco, executive director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch. "They may even merit the attention of the International Criminal Court, which has jurisdiction to investigate and punish crimes against humanity committed in Colombia."

Vivanco called on the Colombian authorities to investigate the attack fully and ensure that those responsible are brought to justice. In addition, he expressed the group's condolences to the victims of the attack and the family members of the dead.

robin

Thank you...

13.05.2003 14:42

For not just denouncing me as a capitalist dog/class traitor/etc for crtitising people's support of armed resistance. Point well made, and it seems that it's the goverment/paramilitaries that are responsible for most of the human rights autrocites in Colombia. I just wanted to draw attention to the human rights abuses carried out by the FARC, which are as equally as wrong. But then again, after having a breif read on Amnesty International's website, the reports on human rights abuses carried out by the Colombian govt and paramilartiared outnumber those carried out by the armed resistance groups (FARC, ELN, etc) by about 10 to 1, but one abuse by either group is one too many.

Thomas J

Disgusting

13.05.2003 15:03

What absolute shi*e. I cannot actually believe what I read sometimes. I refuse to believe that people actually condone violence, its really a sad reflection on the world today. To some how try to condone Human Rights abuses and murder on ANY side is beyond belief. Its nice to sit typing on a keyboard approving the romantice notion of amrmed struggle both by rebels and government whilst the cold hard reality is that people are dying. Human life is precious..

Robin

viva colombia

13.05.2003 15:35

in the first place: never columbia. COLOMBIA!!!

in the second place, FARC, KILLED THEM ALL (columbians).

muerte a los GRINGOS!!!

josé mª gil cámara

Give piss off a chance

13.05.2003 17:16

All human life is precious, no violence is ever justified la la la.

That, my friends, is the difference between a revolutionary and a hippy.

Re: Colombia; try seeing how far pacifism gets you when a death squad kicks down your door.

Che G.

Self-Defense and Human Life

14.05.2003 14:47

that's not nessiceraly true, i'm a revolutionary and I think all human life is all precious. But people still have to defend themselves. I feel sorry for the pathtic thugs that are in these so-called paramilitaries or the FARC for that matter. But if I were columbian and they tried to hurt me my fellow workers or my children, I woud have no compuntion about kiliing them in self -Defense if nessicery. If I could prevent them form doing it peacefully I would try to do that first.

Worker Independance

UK Indymedia