[News] A Social Leader Is Killed Every 4 Days In Colombia: Report

[Anti-Imperialist News]

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/A-Social-Leader-Is-Killed-Every-4-Days-In-Colombia-Report-20170719-0022.html 



  A Social Leader Is Killed Every 4 Days In Colombia: Report

July 19, 2017
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A social leader is killed every four days in Colombia despite the 
current peace process between the government and the Revolutionary Armed 
Forces of Colombia (FARC), according to a recent report.

    *RELATED:
    186 Social Leaders Assassinated in Colombia Since 2016
    <http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/186-Social-Leaders-Assassinated-in-Colombia-Since-2016-20170713-0037.html>*

The Foundation for Peace and Reconciliation said it recorded 55 
assassinations of community leaders and human rights activists this year 
alone.

“Every four days a homicide is committed against a social leader in 
Colombia and every two days ..one threatened,” its report said.

“The vulnerability of leaders and human rights defenders in Colombia 
remains critical. The acts of violence against this population show high 
degrees of systematic behavior.”

Since Colombia’s government signed a historic peace deal with FARC 
guerrillas last November, a total of 181 acts victimizing social leaders 
and human rights defenders have been recorded, according to the study.

The motivations for these actions are to limit the participation of 
social leaders in politics, impede processes of truth-building, land 
restitution and environmental protection.

Besides the murders of social movement leaders, there were selective 
killings of former FARC members, with six were targeted in the past 
three months. Nine rebels' relatives have also been murdered this year.

    *RELATED:
    Sixth FARC-EP Member Murdered in Three Months
    <http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Sixth-FARC-EP-Member-Murdered-in-Three-Months-20170714-0003.html>*

Colombia’s military has responded by embarking on a major reform to 
effectively deal with the paramilitary threat. Additionally, several 
“normalization and stabilization” units have been formed to curb the 
violence impacting on communities in abandoned FARC territory.

Last week, the United Nations Security Council adopted a British-drafted 
resolution which authorizes a second political mission in Colombia, 
focusing on reintegrating FARC rebels into society.

While the Foundation of Peace and Reconciliation report concluded that 
“institutional advances in security are beginning to be seen,” it also 
called for greater efforts to bring the rule of law and governance to 
all corners of the country.

“It is the opportunity to build a more robust local institutional 
structure, which generates confidence and can be recognized as an 
authority for the processing of conflicts,” it said.

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