Colombian state ordered to pay for paramilitary massacre

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Colombia Reports

Colombian state ordered to pay for paramilitary massacre
Saturday, 10 September 2011 07:37
Adriaan Alsema

Colombian court ordered the State to pay $2 million to relatives of 27 victims of a 2001 paramilitary massacre in the north of Colombia.

According to the Administrative Tribunal of the Sucre department, the state is culpable of the massacre because nearby-stationed police and navy knew "of the presence of an illegal armed group close to the place where the acts occurred and did nothing to prevent the incursion."

The massacre took place on January 17 when a paramilitary group led by Rodrigo Mercado Pelufo, alias "Cadenas," entered the village of Chengue and beat 27 locals to death. The remaining villagers were ordered to leave.

According to the court, the navy knew the exact location where the paramilitary group were located before committing the massacre and both police and navy had both the means and authority to prevent the massacre from taking place. Instead, they did nothing to protect the civilians.

Read more: http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/18899-colombian-state-ordered-to-pay-for-paramilitary-massacre.html

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Colombia annually is the 3rd largest recipient of US taxpayers' foreign aid packages.

[chill_wind]

1. And in light of the push for the latest FTA, adding to that

re: human rights records-

ITUC Survey: Colombia Still the Most Dangerous Place for Union Members
by James Parks, Jun 9, 2011

Colombia is still the deadliest country in the world for trade union members, according to the latest global Annual Survey of violation of trade union rights released yesterday by the International Trade Union Confederation (ITUC).

The survey, conducted across 143 countries, paints a picture of people fighting for greater economic rights and freedom to join a union, with many governments and corporations responding with repression, firings, violence, death threats and murder.

Last year, 90 trade union members were murdered, 49 in Colombia alone, according to the survey. Another 75 trade unionists received death threats. At least 2,500 were arrested and at least 5,000 were fired because of union activities.

The AFL-CIO vigorously opposes the proposed free trade agreement with Colombia so long as the “horrifying levels of labor and human rights violations in the country” continue.

more:http://blog.aflcio.org/2011/06/09/ituc-survey-colombia-still-the-most-dangerous-place-for-union-members/

K & R

[They_Live]

2. Man. Life is cheap.

each was worth $74,074.07 in this instance.

[COLGATE4]

3. That kind of money is a fortune to most people in Colombia