Colombia This Week
04/08/2006
Fri 28 –IACHR condemns Colombia for Ituango massacre; Fajardo suggests tax for reinsertion
· The Inter-American Human Rights Court (IACHR) condemned the Colombian state for the death of 19 peasants in Ituango (Antioquia department) in 1997 at the hands of paramilitaries. The tribunal considered that the state did not take the necessary measures to protect the population and sentenced it to the payment of US$1.5 million in compensation, in addition to a public apology, the BBC reports. The government said that it will honour the sentence, El Tiempo reports.
· During a meeting with former paramilitary chiefs, the mayor of Medellin Sergio Fajardo said that a clear policy on paramilitaries’ reinsertion is necessary. He added that the reinsertion should be financed with 10% of the capital tax that will be introduced by the tax reform. The former paramilitary chiefs suggested instead that a reinsertion fund should be created with 3% of the local authorities’ budgets, to be managed by the Catholic Church, El Colombiano reports.
· Nine former paramilitaries died in combat with the army in Briceño (Antioquia department). According to the town’s mayor, Omar Fernando Arenas, the victims were registered in the list of the demobilised of the Bloque Mineros paramilitary group, but were involved in drug trafficking, El Tiempo reports.
· The army found 1,700 uniforms belonging to the FARC in the Guayabero region, between Meta and Caqueta departments. The defence minister Juan Manuel Santos described the action as a psychological blow for the guerrillas, many of whom will now be forced to fight in civilians’ clothes, El Tiempo reports.
· 95 remains of victims of paramilitaries have been found in mass graves this year, of which 70 have been identified so far, EFE reports.
Sat 29–Government presents 2007 budget; UNHCR visits indigenous in Nariño
· The Government presented its budget for 2007 to Congress. More than half the budget will go to the functioning of the state, 30% to debt repayment and 20% to investments, especially in education and housing projects. However, the budget for the armed forces still remains double the amount allocated to education, AP and Caracol Radio report.
· Robert Meier, from the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), and the UN delegate Raul Rosenberg visited the 1,800 Awa indigenous people who have been displaced due to recent fighting in Nariño department. 400 of them are children, most of whom are ill because of the change in diet. The departmental Human Rights Ombudsman, Carlos Maya, described the situation as tragic, El Tiempo reports.
Sun 30 – Colombia protests over Venezuelan massacre ; San Jose de Apartado leader threatened
· The Colombian vice-Foreign Minister, Camilo Reyes, expressed his concern to the Venezuelan embassy over the death of five Colombians at the hands of Venezuelan soldiers. The victims, two children and three adults, were killed on 20th July in Victoria, in the Venezuelan state of Apure. The Venezuelan military justice system charged one soldier with the murder, although witnesses say that other army officers were involved in the massacre, AP reports.
· Peace Brigades International (PBI) expressed its concern over new threats received by members of the San Jose de Apartado Peace Community. In particular, Rodrigo Rodriguez, a coordinator of the Humanitarian Zone in the community, has been receiving death threats from members of the army serving in the XVII Brigade, who accused him of being a guerrilla, PBI reports.
· A study by the Colombian government discovered that the country’s annual cocaine production is much higher than what was reported in previous national police and US studies. According to the new report by the National Narcotics Office (DNE) 800 tonnes of cocaine are produced annually rather than 400, Cambio reports.
Mon 31– Demobilised paramilitaries form criminal gangs ; explosions before Uribe’s inauguration
· Hundreds of demobilised paramilitaries are reported to have formed at least 10 new gangs in the last six months linked to cocaine smuggling and extortion. The Human Rights Ombudsman, Volmar Perez, said that these groups are still in an embryonic stage and are operating without coordination, Reuters reports. Meanwhile, Eduardo Pizarro, president of the National Commission for Reconciliation and Reparation, said that the appearance of criminal gangs is due to a lack of policy towards the middle ranks of the former paramilitary groups, El Tiempo reports.
· Fifteen soldiers have been killed in a mine field in Norte de Santander department, after they received reports of a vehicle loaded with explosives. In Nariño, two soldiers died and six were injured in a similar attack. In Bogota, a car bomb exploded killing one civilian and injuring ten soldiers in the northeast of the capital. The authorities believe that the FARC had planned the attacks to disrupt the inauguration of Uribe’s second term, although the armed group has not claimed responsibility for the attacks, the BBC reports.
· The former governor of Casanare department, Miguel Angel Perez, was sentenced to six years in prison on charges of corruption. Perez was filmed on video receiving money from a member of the paramilitary group Peasant Self-defence Forces of Casanare, which was to be used for his electoral campaign, RCN Radio reports.
· During a visit to Colombia, the Spanish vice-president, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, expressed her optimism for the Colombian peace process and offered Spain’s support to the Colombian government, EFE reports.
· Three Senate officials received death threats, after they denounced irregularities in the purchase of security cameras by the Congress, El Tiempo reports.
Tues 01 –Civil society supports UNHCHR office ; aerial fumigations extended to indigenous land
· Several sectors of Colombian civil society signed a letter to President Uribe and the President of the UN Human Rights Council, Luis Alfonso de Alba, where they expressed their support to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Office in Colombia. The letter, which recommends that the mandate of the office should not be changed, was signed by the former presidential candidates Carlos Gaviria, Horacio Serpa and Rafael Pardo, the Human Rights Ombudsman Volmar Perez, former ministers in the Uribe government, Monsignor Hector Fabio Henao, the presidents of the main trade unions, and several human rights and social organisations, the Colombian NGO CODHES reports.
· The government extended aerial fumigations against coca crops to indigenous territories. 16 indigenous territories in Guaviare department were the first to be fumigated, although it was announced that 98 of the country’s 500 indigenous territories will follow soon. Although the government assured that the measure had been implemented with the consultation of the local communities, the indigenous senator Jesus Piñacue said the fumigations will pose a grave danger to the health and livelihoods of indigenous groups, AP reports.
· According to the National Department of Statistics (DANE), unemployment dropped by 1% in June, compared to the same month last year. However, informal employment increased from 31.5% in June 2005 to 34.4% last month, Caracol Radio reports.
· During the trial against seven soldiers for the murder of five peasants in Cajamarca (Tolima department) in 2004, one of the defendants said that he killed the victims after he won a “raffle” organised by his superior to choose who would commit the crime, El Tiempo reports.
· A declaration, made as part of the Second Mission in Support of the Kankuamo Indigenous People of the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, condemns the repeated violations of international humanitarian law by the Colombian armed forces. The mission is particularly concerned by the installation of military bases next to civilian buildings and by the arbitrary detentions of community members, Adital reports.
Weds 02 – Government drafts controversial J&P decree; US gives aid for social programmes
· El Tiempo got access to a secret draft of the decree that will regulate the Justice and Peace Law. According to the document, the demobilised would be able to spend two thirds of their sentences on an agricultural estate, rather than in prison, and they would not be forced to compensate the victims with legally acquired assets if this posed a danger to their own subsistence. According to Jose Miguel Vivanco, of Human Rights Watch, this is evidence that the negotiation process is steered by the paramilitaries, El Tiempo reports.
· The US will give $110 million to Colombia this year for social and humanitarian programmes, in addition to military aid. The sum will be destined to projects with displaced people and other vulnerable groups, and to the strengthening of the criminal justice system. William Wood, US ambassador to Colombia, said that this aid will be part of the US support to post-conflict, demobilisation and reinsertion, AP reports.
· Anti-drug police from Colombia have been touring Afghanistan to advise the country on how to combat its illegal drug trade. Last year, Colombian security forces confiscated a record 245 tons of cocaine; however, US drug officials believe that this sum only represents 20% of the total smuggled out of the country, The Washington Post reports.
· According to a study by the Organisation of American States (OAS), Colombia, Mexico and Brazil are the countries in the region where most killings of journalists occur. In Colombia, 83 journalists were killed between 1995 and 2005, RCN Radio reports.
· The Conservative Party senator Ciro Ramirez presented a controversial legislative proposal, according to which President Uribe would be allowed to run for election for a third consecutive time and the presidential mandate would be extended to six years, AFP reports.
Thurs 03 – Turbay elected Controller General; 1964 marks the start of the conflict
· Julio Cesar Turbay Quintero, son of the ex-president Julio Cesar Turbay, was elected Controller General with 90% of the votes of the Congress. The Alternative Democratic Pole complained that the election of Turbay, who is a friend and supporter of President Uribe, will make control of the government difficult and might generate corruption, Colprensa reports.
· The National Commission for Reconciliation and Reparation decided that 1964, the year the FARC were born, will be considered the starting point of the armed conflict and that therefore all the victims after that date can ask for reparation. According to the NGO Indepaz, this means that reparation will cost about US$ 55 billions, El Tiempo reports.
· The vice-president Francisco Santos complained of the scarce international support to the peace process in Colombia. Santos also rejected criticisms that new paramilitary groups are being formed and said that only 2.2% of the demobilised have so far reoffended, RCN Radio reports.
· Six manual eradicators were killed when a bomb exploded in the Macarena National Park. The operation Green Colombia, which started in February and led to the eradication of almost 3,000 hectares of coca crops, has so far cost the lives of 26 people, El Colombiano reports.
· The oil workers’ trade union, USO, called a general strike to protest against the sale of 20% of the state oil company Ecopetrol, Caracol Radio reports.
Colombia This Week is a news summary produced and distributed by ABColombia Group. Sources include daily Colombian, US, European and Latin American newspapers, and reports from non-governmental organisations and the UN System. The content does not necessarily reflect the views of the ABColombia Group.
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