COLOMBIA WORSE THAN CHILE UNDER PINOCHET, SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS

[Judi Lynn]

COLOMBIA WORSE THAN CHILE UNDER PINOCHET, SAYS HUMAN RIGHTS
WATCH
Thursday, 06 November 2008

More human rights violations are committed every year in
Colombia than during all of Augusto Pinochet's 16-year military
dictatorship in Chile, said Human Rights Watch Americas director José
Miguel Vivanco on Tuesday.

The Chilean lawyer's comments came in response to a recent barrage of personal attacks by Colombian president Álvaro
Uribe, begun in mid-October after the U.S.-based nonprofit released a 140-page report
accusing the Colombian government of undermining judicial proceedings against paramilitary groups.

In a series of public appearances since the report was made public, Uribe has accused Vivanco of holding "a personal
grudge" against Colombia, being an "accomplice" and "defender" of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia
(FARC) and has said that "we lost respect for him."

~snip~
While Pinochet's regime is widely credited with the kidnapping, death or forced disappearance of more than 3,000
political opponents from 1973 to 1990, Amnesty International estimates that in the last two
decades more than 70,000 people — mostly civilians — have been killed in Colombia's armed conflict, including 1,400
civilians in 2007.

Over the same time period, the U.K.-based nonprofit reported that up to 30,000 people were forcefully disappeared and
between three and four million people were forced from their homes, making Colombia home to the second-highest
number of displaced persons in the world, after Sudan. The prevalence of torture, kidnappings and child soldiers is also
very high.

~snip~
Uribe has a history of publicly denouncing detractors. Most recently, he called Amnesty International and Human Rights
Watch "enemies" of his program for the country, and in the past, he has condemned judges, labor union activists and
journalists.

He also frequently alleges dissidents are tied to the FARC. In recent months, the head of state charged the guerrilla
group infiltrated both an indigenous protest in western Colombia and a nationwide sugarcane workers strike.

More:
http://www.santiagotimes.cl/santiagotimes/index.php/2008110515038/news/human-rights-news/colombia-worse-than-chile-under-pinochet-says-human-rights-watch.html

[Bacchus39]

1. HRW has been "discredited" by you and another in particular

so there is no need to pay heed.

[struggle4progress]

2. Human rights in Colombia is such a great catastrophe, that it may actually be difficult to find

researchers who can maintain the energy levels necessary to work on it for an extended period: to do the research, one first needs certain language skills, as well as a minimum historical and geographical knowledge; beyond that, one needs excellent interpersonal skills, the ability to control one's tongue, and a certain political sense; one must care about the issue and be willing to travel. Burn-out must be a major problem

[Bacchus39]

3. Colombia is such a cool country

fortunately there are those of us with historical, geographic, certainly language, interpersonal skills, and courage (I mean really its no big deal) who are able to travel freely with complete disregard to ignorant fear mongering.

Colombia has many obstacles to overcome but.....adelante Colombia.

[struggle4progress]

4. I do not doubt that is mostly true, though my remarks (which you call "ignorant fear mongering") are

actually based on factual reports, which I have heard in person from genuine experts

[Bacchus39]

5. one must certainly be aware, cautious, and informed

I was jumped in Brazil.


but ignorant bliss has its place too. in Colombia, Venezuela, DU, or where have you.

[struggle4progress]

6. But my post was not about street crime, which (after all) exists here in the US as well: it was

about the hardwork of accurately documenting human rights abuses

[Bacchus39]

7. yes it does, but it is an epidemic in Ven

don't you think that is something a government might want to address? there is no doubt that it is simply not completely random. drug gangs, rogue security forces, organized mafias, its all there. is there some threshold that makes some murders and assassinations more nefarious than others??

if "street crime" results in more deaths than say paramilitary or guerrilla activity is it somehow more acceptable??

much of the discontent with Chavez in Venezuela is because of this.