Impunity Watch: South America

Educators Bear the Brunt of "Shocking" Level of Political Violence in Colombia

By Sovereign Hager

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

PARIS, France - Education International, a global union federation, released a report today finding that Colombian teachers face the highest rates of political violence against teachers in the world. The detailed report, entitled Colombia's Classroom Wars details incidences of murder, disappearances, torture, death threats, forced displacement, arbitrary detention, and other violations of human rights..

The Colombian National Trade Union School reported that 816 Colombian trade unionists were killed between 1999 and 2005. That represents more than half of the 1,175 trade unionists killed during that period worldwide. The Education International report points out that many violations go unreported because the environment is so politicized and dangerous. As a result, the estimates of human rights violations are thought to be conservative.

Over half of the trade unionists murdered in Colombia are teachers. Teachers working in rural areas are seen as community leaders, which can bring them into conflict with powerful local, national, and international interests. For example, teachers in Arauca, an oil-rich region, campaigned for multinational oil companies to finance social investment.

The report finds that political violence disproportionately affects teachers in Colombia because they represent the majority of unionization in the country. Findings of the report indicate that due to repression, and the massive growth in the informal sector, trade union representation is extremely low in Colombia. The majority of state employees are unionized and the biggest trade union in Colombia is the FECODE - the National Teacher's Federation. FEDCODE has a strong presence and leadership in the Colombian Labor Federation.

Education International attributes the majority of the assassinations to right-wing paramilitary organizations with links to the Colombian state. People responsible for the assassinations "committed their crimes with impunity." Dr. Mario Novelli, of the University of Amsterdam prepared the report and will present it at a UNESCO - sponsored seminar today in Paris. Dr. Novelli argues that "the violation of the political and civil rights of educators in Colombia by state and state-supported paramilitary organizations is carried out precisely with the intention of silencing the very organizations and individuals that are actively defending the economic, social, and cultural rights of their members and the broader Colombian society."  

Colombian labor union leaders spoke at the ALF-CIO meeting in Pittsburgh earlier this month. They expressly stated that the government and employers are responsible for violence against unionized workers. They argued that violence against unions rises to the level of governmental policy, saying that the government "uses its own agencies to murder trade unionists."

Two U.S. corporations have been accused of being involved in anti-union "death squads." The Organization of American States said that 3,000 automatic weapons and 2.5 million bullets were shipped through Chiquita Brands International's private port and picked up by death squad operatives. Drummond Coal executives are currently being investigated for allegedly conspiring with paramilitaries to kill three union activists. Trade unionists in Colombia are hoping that violence against trade unions will be considered as the United States and Canada negotiate a Colombian Free Trade Agreement.

Dr. Novelli traces the violence to "a highly unequal development model favoring a small minority of wealthy elites at the expense of the vast majority of the population." Novelli and Education International are urging the international community and labor movements around the world to call on governments to hold Colombia accountable for crimes; to stop giving financial support to the Colombian military; and to prioritize improvement of human rights in Colombia over the interests of foreign-based corporations.

For more information, please see:

Agencia Latinoamericana de Información - Colombian Teachers Face Highest Rate of Political Violence - 29 September 2009

Education International - Colombian Teachers Face Highest Rate of Political Violence - 29 September 2009

People's Weekly World - Trade Unions to Colombia: Stop Murdering Labor Activists - 24 September 2009

Latin American Drug Cartels Penetrate West Africa

By Ryan C. Kossler

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

 

Colombia – Latin American drug cartels have crossed the Atlantic Ocean seeking to expand their share of the drug market into West Africa.  The Drug Enforcement Agency’s regional director for Europe and Africa said that “the same organizations that we investigate in Central and South America that are involved in drug activity toward the United States are engaged in this trafficking in Western Africa.”  He further said that “there’s not one country that hasn’t been touched to some extent,” by the Latin American drug cartels.

 

There are several factors that have led the cartels’ to seek West Africa as a viable market source.  West Africa is one of the poorest and least stable regions in the world.  Its Governments are weak and often corrupted and law enforcement in the region is also often riddled with corruption.  Further, due to its large population of desperate indignant inhabitants, it is relatively simple for the cartels to recruit soldiers from the area.  The combination of these factors makes West Africa particularly vulnerable to penetration by the drug cartels.

 

Geography also plays an important role.  West Africa is close to Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, which are the three Latin American countries that produce most of the world’s cocaine.  Cartels transport the drugs through Venezuela and across the Atlantic Ocean to the West Africa region.  A recent U.N. report said that nearly 1,000 tons of pure cocaine is produced each year.  Of this nearly 1,000 tons, approximately 60 percent evades the detection of law enforcement agencies, making for a wholesale global market value of $70 billion dollars.

 

Colombia’s Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia (FARC) has already been identified by the DEA as one of the Latin American groups involved in the drug trafficking in West Africa.  Recently, Colombian and United States officials signed an agreement that would allow the United States access to Colombian military bases.  This agreement is intended to help battle the drug epidemic in the region.  Unfortunately, surrounding nations have condemned the agreement.  Nations such as Venezuela and Ecuador provide refuge to criminal organizations such as Colombia’s FARC and have been vocal in stating that they would not condemn any military activity against these organizations within their borders.

 

The United States has pressed Latin American countries to meet there counter narcotics obligations.  In a recent annual report, the United States identified Bolivia as the world’s third largest cocaine producer and charged Venezuela as failing to do enough to fight the drug trade.  The United States, however, said that it would continue to provide humanitarian aid to the Latin American countries, even though the aid was intended to be dependent on the countries counter narcotics obligations.    

 

For more information, please see:

 

CNN - Latin American Drug Cartels Find Home in West Africa - 21 September 2009

 

The Spectator - South American Spat - 24 September 2009

 

Reuters - U.S. keeps Venezuela, Bolivia atop narcotics list - 16 September 2009

Former Head of Truth and Reconciliation Commission Threatened in Peru

By Sovereign Hager

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

LIMA, Peru -  Dr. Salomón Lerner Febres, former president of Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission has been the victim of intensified threats and harassment in recent days.  Peru's National Coordinator for Human Rights and Human Rights Watch are calling on the Peruvian government to investigate the threats and ensure Lerner's safety.

On September 5, 2009, Lerner reported that his dogs were poisoned and died at his home in Lima.  This week, he received anonymous phone calls at his house and at his office at the Institute for Democracy and Human Rights at the Catholic University of Peru.  The caller left a message saying, "What we did to your dogs, we will do to you."  

Peru's Ombudsman, Beatriz Merino, stated that she is in "complete solidarity" with Lerner.  She said that the threats should be strongly denounced by the state because they demonstrate an intolerance of advocacy for human rights and democracy.  

Dr. Salomón Lerner Febres, pictured on the left as he presents the Truth and Reconciliation Report as the commissions president in 2003.  He has been the victim of threats and intimidation ever since. (Photo courtesy of Comisión de la Verdad y Reconciliación)

Lerner has been the victim of threats and harassment since the Truth and Reconciliation Commission released its report in 2003. In addition to presiding over the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, Lerner is the vice president of a high level commission creating a Museum of Memory, which will focus on human rights abuses in Peru.  That commission is headed by renowned writer Mario Vargas Llosa.   

Peru's Truth and Reconciliation Commission was established in 2001 to investigate massacres, forced disappearances, terrorist attacks, and violence against women committed in the 1980s and 1990s by the Peruvian government and two rebel groups. The commission held meetings, collected testimonies, and did forensic investigations. It also made recommendations for reparations and institutional reforms.  An estimated 69,280 people were killed during that period.  The formal work of the commission ended with the 2003 publication of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission Report. 

The Americas director of Human Rights Watch stated that "this is still a delicate time for human rights defenders in Peru, given the longstanding lack of action to stem abuse."  He called the conviction of former President Alberto Fujimori a "fragile gain", saying that "the government needs to show clearly that harassment and threats against human rights defenders are not permissible."

For more information, please see:

Derechos Humanos Peru - Solidaridad Con Salomon Lerner - 25 September 2009

El Comerio - La Defensoría Exhortó a Interior Dar Protección a Salomón Lerner - 25 September 2009

Human Rights Watch - Peru: Investigate Threats Against Rights Defender - 25 September 2009

Los Andes - Salomón Lerner, Ex Presidente de la CVR Recibe Amenazas- 25 September 2009

UNASUR Fails to Reach Consensus on Arms Deals

By Ryan C. Kossler

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

 

Quito, Ecuador - South American defense officials were unable to come to an agreement on Tuesday, September 15 when they convened to attempt to defuse regional tension caused by many of the South American countries recent arms deals.  The UNASUR group of nations is seeking transparency in the region's recent defense deals due to the exacerbation of mistrust amongst the nations.

 

Colombia's recent military pact with the United States has caused extreme tension in the region, and was one of the main topics discussed during the UNASUR gathering.  After the meeting, Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca said "we regret the attitude of Colombia, the intransigence of Colombia, which does not want to make transparent its pact concerning military bases." 

 

Colombian officials say that the military pact with the United States is aimed at combating drug trafficking and that it sought the assistance of the United States because its neighbors are not doing their part to help the country combat the insurgency.  Under the military pact, U.S. forces will have access to up to seven Colombian military bases.

 

Venezuela's recent arms deal with Russia was also on the table, however, Venezuela said that it would share information about its weapons deal.  Venezuela said that its recent weapons purchases are for defense purposes only, however, have not provided any more information.  Venezuela accused Colombia of shrouding its military pact with the United States in secrecy.  Venezuelan Vice President Ramon Carrizalez said "we have seen neither the bold nor the fine print of the accord and of course this generates worries."

 

The secrecy is a cause for worry among other countries in the region as well.  Ecuadorian officials have stated that any cross boarder military attacks on insurgents by Colombia will be met with equal military force.

 

Along with Colombia's military pact with the United States, and Venezuela's weapons deal with Russia, many other countries in the region are increasing their weapons defenses.  Ecuador and Chile recently purchased new equipment in order to strengthen each of their air forces respectively, Chile is planning a weapons deal with Russia, similar to the one that Venezuela recently entered, and Bolivia is planning on purchasing new fighter planes and helicopters from France and Russia.  It appears that if tensions remain unchecked, an arms race may be inevitable, if it has not already begun, and the already troubled region may become even more troubled. 

 

For more information, please see:

 

The Spectator - South American Spat - 24 September 2009

 

AP - Brazil's Lula defends South America arms buildup - 18 September 2009

 

Reuters - South American Officials Fail to Reach Arms Deal - 15 September 2009

U.N. Denounces Enslavement of Indigenous Guarani

By Sovereign Hager

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

EL GRAN CHACO, Paraguay and Bolivia - The United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issueshas expressed grave concern in two recently released reports over findings of forced labor of indigenous people in the Chaco regions of Paraguay and Bolivia.  The report also cited findings of abuses related to land rights, child labor, freedom of association and discrimination. Permanent Forum Chairperson Victoria Tauli-Corpuz even found that "in some areas, those seeking to defend their rights were the target of systematic violence and threats."

Three Permanent Forum members were in the investigatory mission along with experts from several UN agencies.  The reports recommend that the governments of Bolivia and Paraguay take steps to address forced labor beyond what is already in place.  This should include increased presence of state institutions in forced labor areas to ensure the enforcement of domestic and international labor law, security and legal services, social services and rural development.

The "Gran Chaco" region is predominantly populated by indigenous Guarani people and spans into Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil and Paraguay. (Photo Courtesy of CIA World Fact book)

President Evo Morales has stated his intent to aid the tens of thousands of ethnic Guarani who live in eastern Bolivia by creating a 390,000-acre reservation. Guarani leaders in Bolivia have expressed optimism about positive progress under Morales' government. However, land owners in the area have vowed to resist any attempts of land reform.

The Permanent Forum was clear in stating that "all efforts to address the situation of indigenous peoples of the Chaco region must  . . . include restoration of territorial and land rights for indigenous peoples, and the promotion and application of the principle of non-discrimination in all spheres of life of indigenous peoples."

Reports over the last four decades by researchers and non-governmental organizations have made similar findings regarding the indigenous people of the Chaco region, who live in a state "reminiscent of slavery." Most land in the Chaco region is owned by non-indigenous people, who government and international observers say force landless indigenous families into labor.  Many people are paid only in food and clothing, or live in debt bondage.

For more information, please see:

Indian Country Today - Permanent Forum Wants Forced Labor Stopped - 17 September 2009

The Scoop - Forced Labour Of Indigenous Peoples in Bolivia - 1 September 2009

The Business Age - Chaco Indigenous People Suffer Forced Labor, Abuse: U.N. - 31 August 2009

United Press International - U.N.: Protect Chaco Indigenous People - 31 August 2009

A Protester's Plea for Asylum

By Ryan C. Kossler

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

 

LIMA, Peru - Oscar Perez is seeking political asylum in Peru to escape persecution on charges that he incited violence during an August 22, 2009 protest against a controversial education law in Venezuela.  His arrest was ordered last month by a Venezuelan court on charges of conspiring to commit and instigate crimes.  Opponents to the education law fear that it will lead to political indoctrination in schools.  Perez is a co-founder of the National Resistance Commando, an anti-Chavez group, and has helped organize several protests against the Venezuelan government.

 

Opposition leaders such as Perez have been described by government officials as trying to destabilize the government of Venezuela by disrupting the peace and order of the democratic system.  After the protest of the education law, Venezuela's Attorney General Luisa Ortega said that "street protests were legally tantamount to "rebellion" against President Hugo Chavez's government," and that the protesters would be charged.  Ortega further said that the "These precise actions are in effect criminal civil rebellion."

 

Peru has been known to grant asylum to many of Latin America's opposition leaders.  Peruvian President Alan Garcia's government has granted asylum to Manuel Rosales, Eduardo Lapi, and Carlos Ortega of Venezuela, along with several former government officials from Bolivia, among others. 

 

It is not yet known whether or not the Peruvian government will grant Perez's request for asylum, however, Perez's attorney Angel Delgado said "We are convinced that Peru's government, honoring its continental tradition of solidarity for the defense of those who fight for democratic liberty, will grant asylum whenever there is a clear case of political persecution," as there is believed to be here.

 

According to the Venezuelan Penal Forum, over the past seven years, more than 2,000 Chavez opponents have been put on trial for political opposition related crimes.  Attorney General Ortega however denies that prosecutors are persecuting opponents of the government, and instead insists that all the arrests have been for crimes such as disturbing the peace or assaulting police officers.

 

Opponents however claim that the government is using the regular judicial process to achieve its political persecution goals.  Perez's wife, Marta Molina said that her husband is seeking asylum in Peru "because there's no possibility of a fair trial in Venezuela."  She further added that "the entire justice system is controlled by the government, and the judges do whatever the President orders."

 

Perez has had to leave behind his wife and two daughters.

 

For more information, please see:

 

AFP - Venezuela accuses protesters of attempting 'rebellion' - 29 August 2009

 

Miami Herald - Venezuela opposition activist seeks asylum in Peru - 17 September 2009

 

Miami Herald - Rights group: Dozens of protesters in prison- 16 September 2009

 

Indigenous Mapuche Show Dissent in Absence from Chilean Independence Celebration

By Sovereign Hager

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

"Freedom without Impunity" (Photo Courtesy of Latin American Solidarity Network)

ARAUCANÍA, Chile - The indigenous Mapuche Nation will not participate in the upcoming annual Chilean independence celebrations because they perceive Chile to be an oppressive state. The Mapuche have been actively seeking land reform and regional autonomy for the last several years, often leading to violent confrontations with the Chilean government in the state of Araucanía. Last month the military police shot Mendoza Collío, a Mapuche activist, to death in an effort to remove activists from a piece of land they had symbolically seized. 

Land reform is a part of Prime Minister Bachelet's indigenous policy, however the pace of reform is slow. This has led to the use of civil disobedience to encourage the government to move more quickly.  The use of land invasions began after the Mapuche were not granted an audience with President Bachelet or with the Governor of the state of Araucanía.  

The international community has criticized the the Chilean government's reaction to the land seizures. The executive director of Human Rights Watch, José Miguel Vivanco, called the August killing of Mendoza Collío an "unjustified homicide".  The Chilean government is currently using an anti-terrorism statute from the Pinochet era to punish Mapuche protesters who seize and destroy property.  Prosecutors may call unidentified witnesses, withhold evidence for long periods, deny bail, and double the length of sentences under this statute.

The Inter-American Court of Human Rights declared the anti-terrorism law to be a violation of international law.  Similarly, the UN Committee for the Elimination of Racism has criticized the law because it is applied "principally to members of the Mapuche community, for acts committed in the context of social demands and related to the vindication of their ancestral land rights."  

Regional autonomy is a goal of numerous Mapuche groups who use both protest and the political process to further their goals.  Groups call for a reconstituted, decentralized local government and a new constitution that would recognize Chile as a plurinational state and raise Mapudungun to the status of an official language.  The national legislature is asked to reserve seats for Mapuche representatives.

While Mapuche leaders have pledged to continue their struggle, the independence celebration will go on, with special requirements that all Chilean children participate in military processions. A Mapuche man remarked, "It pains many of us to see our sons and brothers participating in military parades because this is the same organization that has been raping and killing our families over the centuries."

For more information, please see:

The Santiago Times - Fiestas Patrias - Whose Party is It?  - 16 September 2009

Upside Down World - The Mapuche Nation Ups the Ante - 16 September 2009

World Press Review - Chile's Mapuches Call for Regional Autonomy - 15 September 2009

Venezuelan Weapons Deal Brings Fear of South American Arms Race

By Ryan C. Kossler

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

 

CARACAS, Venezuela - Last week Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez announced that Venezuela had entered into an arms deal with Russia.  The Russian government is purported to have opened a 2.2 billion dollar line of credit for Venezuela to purchase weapons, including, 92 Soviet-era T-72 battle tanks, 300-millimeter Smerch multiple launch rocket systems, and surface to air missiles with a range of up to 186 miles.  The Russian government has said that it is willing to sell Venezuela whatever weapons it is willing to buy.

 

President Chavez said that the weapons were needed for defense purposes because his government feels threatened by Colombia's recent agreement with the United States to give U.S. forces increased access to Colombian military bases.  The agreement between the U.S. and Colombia occurred last month and was for the purpose of combating regional drug trafficking and terrorism.

 

U.S. officials say that they fear Venezuela's new arms acquisitions could lead to an arms race in the region, in turn, leading to regional instability. 

 

State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said U.S. officials think Venezuela's arms buildup "poses a serious challenge to stability in the western hemisphere." 

 

Kelly also said that the U.S. urges Venezuela "to be transparent in its purchases, and very clear about the purposes of these purchases" and that the U.S. is concerned that the Venezuelan government "put[s] in place very clear procedures and safeguards that these arms are not diverted to any irregular organizations," referring to the fact that in the past, the Venezuelan government has been accused of providing arms to FARC guerillas in Colombia, who are considered a terrorist group by the Colombian government.

 

President Chavez said that his country had the "right to take the minimum necessary steps" to protect its national security and natural resources.  He accused the United States of encroaching on the country's oil and gas reserves by saying "the empire has set its sights on them."  President Chavez seemed to be implying that the U.S.-Colombian agreement may have ulterior motives.

 

Russia has already sold Venezuela military equipment amounting to the cost of 4 billion dollars since the United States barred the country from buying U.S. equipment and this latest purchase further outpaces those of any other South American country.

 

For more information, please see:

 

Google News - US Fears Latin American Arms Race - 14 September 2009

 

Miami Herald - US Worries About Venezuelan Arms Buildup- 14 September 2009

 

Miami Herald - Venezuela Gets $2.2B in Credit for Russian Arms- 13 September 2009

 

VOA News - US Says Venezuelan Arms Buildup Threatens Regional Stability - 14 September 2009

 

VOA News - Venezuela Buys Rockets from Russia - 12 September 2009

Silencing the Voice of Private Media

By Ryan C Kossler

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

 

CARACAS, Venezuela - The fate of Globovision, the last major channel in Venezuela that is critical of President Hugo Chavez, is unknown.

 

On September 7, Minister of Public Works and Housing Diosdado Cabello announced that an investigation would be initiated into Globovision's recent alleged unlawful broadcast of a viewer’s text. The message called for a coup and the assassination of Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez.  "If you call for a coup, if you call for assassination, assume your responsibility," Cabello said. 

 

Earlier in the day, Venezuela’s telecommunications commission issued a statement accusing Globovision of airing messages having the implication of calling for violent acts.  The commission also stated that Globovision's airing of anti government messages sought to "promote public protests, which could generate a climate of tension and nervousness in the population."

 

Globovision's legal advisor Ana Cristina Nunez responded by saying that "We are very careful in attempting to stop people from using Globovision's screen to make illegal petitions," and that the channel "would never intentionally broadcast unlawful text messages."

 

Opponents to President Chavez see the potential closure of Globovision as another instance of President Chavez trying to silence the media.  "There is a clear strategy to control the flow of information and restrict criticism," said Carlos Lauria of the New York Committee to Protect Journalists.

 

President Chavez has denied any accusations that his government is attempting to control the private media for political reasons and has said that Globovision is being investigated only for violations of unlawful broadcasting regulations.

 

The latest accusations regarding Globovsion's alleged actions come in the wake of the recent closure of 32 private media outlets and the announcement by Cabello that "there are 29 [radio stations] that will be off the air shortly."

 

This is not the first instance that Globovision has clashed with the government and is one example among many in the growing tension between the government and Venezuela's private media.  On July 17, 2009, Cabello announced that if Globovision did not comply with the laws, its license would be revoked.  This announcement was made shortly after regulators opened five investigations into Globovision's activities.

 

For more information, please see:

 

CNN - Venezuelan Minister: More radio closures coming - 6 September 2009

 

Miami Herald - Anti-Chavez TV station faces possible shutdown - 7 September 2009

 

Miami Herald - Venezuela steps up threats against anti-Chavez TV - 17 July 2009

U.S. Upgrades Colombia’s Human Rights Assessment Despite Concerns

By Mario A. Flores
Special Features Editor, Impunity Watch Journal

BOGOTA, Colombia — The United States has quietly made the legal certification this week that Colombia's human rights record has improved in spite of reports alleging that serious abuses and impunity for illegal activity in the Latin American nation persist.

This certification will allow Colombia to access $32 million that Washington has withheld as part of a $545 million package that the U.S. government is to provide Colombia this fiscal year under the State Foreign Operations Appropriations Act. The funds are meant to fight gangs and drug smugglers.

State Department spokesman Ian Kelly said Colombia has "made significant efforts to increase the security of its people and to promote respect for human rights by its Armed Forces," which justify the determination that the nation meets the legal certification criteria on human rights and paramilitary groups.

According to Kelly, factors that led to the upgraded finding are reforms and training that have resulted in respect for human rights by most of the Armed Forces coupled with significant advances in investigating and prosecuting human rights cases over the past few years.

Kelly described "several disquieting challenges" where Colombia must still make progress, including allegations of soldiers involved in extrajudicial killings -- which the United Nations special rapporteur on extrajudicial executions described as "systematic"--, illegal surveillance by the government’s security agency, and the ability of the Prosecutor General’s Office to conduct thorough and independent investigations that result in accountability.

The Attorney General's Office is said to be investigating cases involving more than 1,700 alleged victims in recent years.

Colombian officials insist they are trying to stamp out human rights abuses, but critics say abuses remain widespread in the country, where the government has been battling the left-wing guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for years.

Ongoing anti-union violence, with the offenders rarely brought to justice, led the International Trade Union Confederation to say that Colombia is the deadliest country in the world for labor rights activists.

According to Human Rights Watch, there has also been an increased activity of new armed groups linked to paramilitaries. These groups engage in threats, targeted killings, and forced displacement of civilians, very much like the paramilitary groups of old that are supposedly demobilized.

The media and civil society have reported that there has been a recent rise in forced displacement partly as a result of the activities of these new paramilitary groups. Last year, more than 380,000 persons were internally displaced, according to Human Rights Watch.

Maria McFarland, senior Americas researcher at Human Rights Watch, said that the U.S. decision was disappointing and that Colombia’s government had responded to abuse allegations only after intense pressure.

For more information, please see:

The New York Times - U.S. Upgrades Colombia’s Human Rights Score – 11 September 2009

The Washington Post - US certifies Colombia's rights record – 11 September 2009

Department of State - Determination and Certification of Colombian Government and Armed Forces with Respect to Human Rights Related Conditions

Human Rights Watch - Colombia: Obama Should Press Uribe on Rights - 26 June 2009