[News] Three Activist Leaders Murdered in Colombia in Only 72 Hours

[Anti-Imperialist News]

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Three-Social-Leaders-Murdered-in-Colombia-in-Only-72-Hours-20170812-0001.html 



  Three Social Leaders Murdered in Colombia in Only 72 Hours

August 12, 2017
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The Colombian activist and social leader Fernando Asprilla was murdered 
on Friday in the Cauca department, and was the third death of a social 
leader recorded in a 72 hour period.

The Ombudsman of Colombia, Carlos Alfonso Negret Mosquera, showed in a 
recent report that during the period between the first of January, 2016, 
and March 1st of 2017, at least 156 homicides, five disappearances, and 
33 violent attacks against community and social leaders occurred.

According to the report given by Negret, one of the primary causes of 
the deadly trend is the continued operations of illegal armed right-wing 
paramilitary organizations that have occupied territory left behind by 
the disarming Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People's Army 
(FARC – EP).

Human rights defenders and activists in the districts of Antioquia, 
Arauca, Atlantico, Bolivar, Caldas, Caqueta, Casanare, Cauca, Cesar, 
Cordoba, Cundinamarca, Choco, Huila, La Guajira, Magdalena, Meta, 
Nariño, Norte de Santander, Putumayo, Risaralda, Santander, Tolima and 
Cauca Valley have been assasinated since the FARC's demobilization 
process began.

As they have handed over their weapons and negotiated terms of peace 
with the Colombian government, FARC-EP has consistently demanded that 
the state works to dismantle paramilitarism in the country, saying its 
ongoing violence represents the greatest threat to the peace process.

The government however, has largely ignored the existence of 
paramilitaries, claiming that they were demobilized during Alvaro 
Uribe's presidential term between 2006 and 2008. FARC-EP leaders have 
pointed out that many of the groups have been reclassified as criminal 
gangs, but continue to represent the same threat as always by 
assasinating leaders who fight for human and land rights.

-- 
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