olombia
is on the break of a real and true civil war and only the immediate intervention
of the international community can stop “the endemic conflict that seems
nearly invisible, despite its progressive worsening”. The alarm was launched
by Amnesty International, during a press conference held in Madrid on the eve of
the summit between the European Union, Latin America and Caribbean in program
today and tomorrow. The director of the Amnesty Spanish branch, Esteban Beltrán,
confirmed that no one seems to have noticed this war “despite the dramatic
reports on the victims of the violence: 60,000 dead since 1985, at a rhythm of
20 a day, 2 million displaced and 3 thousand abductions each year”.
Colombia is on the break of a real and true civil war and only the immediate intervention of the international community can stop the endemic conflict that seems nearly invisible, despite its progressive worsening.
According to the director of Amnesty for Latin America, Susan Lee, the scenario has only degenerated in the last 15 years “and today it is one of the most critical, ignored by the world”. As if it is not enough, according to the non governmental organizations, the hope that the situation improves with the next presidential change are very scarce, from the moment that no candidate has inserted the issue of human rights in the priorities of their political program, as verified by during a public debate.
Among the proposals considered alarming, is that of turning one million Colombians into informers of the armed forces, a proposal that would increase their involvement in the conflict, and at reports that measures are being discussed which could undermine the already weak powers of the courts to prosecute those responsible for human rights violations.
Furthermore, the Colombian experience shows that such initiatives always end with increasing the number of paramilitary militants, who are always accused of systematic violations of human rights. The circumstances of the latest massacre in Colombia and the proposals put forward by some of the candidates for the presidency show that the civilian population are becoming less protected from, and more involved in, the armed conflict, thereby placing Colombia in increasing danger of civil war.
"Given the growing deterioration in the conflict and the increasingly serious humanitarian and human rights crisis, this issue has to be at the heart of the political debate," Amnesty International's Secretary General commented. despite claiming to be committed to human rights, the candidates had not put forward any concrete proposals on how these would be upheld. There were not even any firm or unequivocal commitments to fully implementing the recommendations made by the United Nations and several national and international organizations to put an end to impunity, to combat paramilitary groups and break their links with the armed forces, and to protect human rights defenders and the most vulnerable sections of Colombian society.
The proposal of the US Congress to remove the restrictions on the use of military aid granted to the government of Bogotá in reference to the ‘Plan Colombia’, could have drastically contributed in degenerating the situation. Presently limited in the fight against drug trafficking, such aid could be engaged in the future for the war against anti governmental formations.
(From MISNA)