Killings of civilians
• More than 70,000 people, the majority of them civilians, have been killed in Colombia’s armed conflict over the past 20 years.
• At least 1,400 civilians were killed in 2007 (around 1,300 in 2006), compared with a recent high of 4,000 in 2002.
• Of those cases where the perpetrator is known, in 2007 paramilitaries were responsible [...]

Tags: Colombia

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Investigations of Paramilitary Mafias Need International Support
The administration of President Álvaro Uribe is jeopardizing efforts to secure justice for crimes committed by paramilitaries and their accomplices in Colombia, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.
The 140-page report, “Breaking the Grip? Obstacles to Justice for Paramilitary Mafias in Colombia,” assesses Colombia’s progress toward investigating [...]

Tags: Colombia

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The total number of trade unionists assassinated this year in Colombia has now reached 41 following three further murders this month. The figure is now already higher than the total number killed during the whole of 2007 and ensures that Colombian will retain the macabre title of being the most dangerous country in the world [...]

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FARC Should Stop Indefensible Attacks
The bombing of a party in Ituango, Colombia, is an indefensible attack on civilians and the perpetrators should be prosecuted, Human Rights Watch said today.
On August 14, 2008, a bomb exploded on a crowded street as hundreds of residents of Ituango, in the northwestern state of Antioquia, celebrated the town’s traditional [...]

Tags: Colombia

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Rampant government interference with press freedom threatens editorial independence and access to unbiased news in seven Latin American countries, according to a groundbreaking report released today. The study catalogues abuses in Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Peru, and Uruguay, including the widespread use of public funds to reward or punish news coverage.
“Millions of dollars [...]

Tags: Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Honduras, Peru, Uruguay

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Proposed Constitutional Changes Harm Accountability, Favour Uribe Allies
President Álvaro Uribe’s proposal to amend Colombia’s constitution would hurt accountability for politicians who collaborated with paramilitary death squads, Human Rights Watch said today.
Link to HRW

Tags: Colombia

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Amnesty International has welcomed the news that on 2 July former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt at last gained her freedom after more than six years in captivity at the hands of the guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).
Ingrid Betancourt, kidnapped in 2002, was freed along with three US contractors, kidnapped by the [...]

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Human Rights Watch today welcomed reports that 15 hostages that had been held for several years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been rescued. Human Rights Watch called on the FARC to immediately and unconditionally release hundreds of others still being held.
Link to hrw.org

Tags: Colombia

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In reaction to the news that former presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt has at last gained her freedom, Amnesty International said:
“This is positive news but we should not forget about the other hundreds who continue to be held across Colombia. We urge the FARC to release them immediately and unconditionally."
Link to amnesty.org

Tags: Colombia

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Recovered Emails Suggest Chávez Support for FARC
The Venezuelan government should provide a full accounting of its relationship with Colombian guerrillas responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said today.
Link to hrw.org

Tags: Colombia, Venezuela

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