Human Rights Abuses Rising in Colombia, Contrary to Government Assertions, Says New Amnesty International Report
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Forced Displacement, Attacks on Social and Human Rights Activists, and Killings by Security Forces All Increased, Says Human Rights Organization

Contact: Suzanne Trimel, 212-633-4150, strimel@aiusa.org

(Madrid) -- The Colombian government is painting a false picture of the state of human rights in Colombia, when in fact the situation is deteriorating, including increasing reports of forced internal displacement, attacks against social and human rights activists, and killings by security forces, said Amnesty International in a new report released today.

“The Colombian authorities are in absolute denial, even refusing to admit there’s an armed conflict in their country, but people are telling us a very different story,” said Marcelo Pollack, Colombia researcher at Amnesty International. “It’s impossible to solve a problem without admitting there is one. Denial only condemns more people to abuse and death.”

Amnesty International’s report is the most comprehensive, up-to-date study on the state of human rights in this South American country. It shows that while some human rights indicators – such as kidnappings and the security situation in some cities – have improved over the years, many others have deteriorated.

The study also debunks statements repeated by the Colombian government that paint a positive picture of the human rights situation in the country; for example, that paramilitary groups no longer operate, that human rights abusers are held to account, and that the work of social activists and trade unionists is being fully respected.

"The government claims that Colombia is experiencing an irreversible renaissance of relative peace, rapidly falling levels of violence, the successful demobilization of tens of thousands of paramilitary combatants, and effective justice for victims of human rights abuses. It is certainly true that in recent years the incidence of some abuses has declined. Others, however, have increased, particularly extrajudicial executions carried out directly by the security forces and forced displacement. The recent upsurge of violence against human rights defenders and trade unionists is a cause for serious concern. There is also strong evidence to show that paramilitary groups remain active – and continue to commit human rights violations – despite government claims to the contrary," the report states.

The report provides recent examples of escalating violence, including the killing of Ingrid Yahaira Sinisterra, 16, who was abducted and killed by paramilitaries in August 2007, in Buenaventura, Valle del Cauca Department. Her family went to see the paramilitaries to ask for her body. They told Ingrid’s family that they had killed her as a warning to others not to have relationships with guerrillas.

The report recounts the stories of individuals and communities hardest hit by the conflict, including members of afro-descendant, indigenous and campesino communities killed or displaced from their homes; the victims of kidnappings; women and girls raped; children recruited by paramilitary and guerrilla groups or maimed by landmines; communities taking an active stand to defend their right not to be drawn into the conflict; and human rights defenders and trade unionists whose work in defense of human rights has cost them their lives.

“For over 40 years, Colombians have been trapped in one of the worst forgotten conflicts in the world. They are attacked by security forces, paramilitaries, and guerrilla groups, and their government fails to take any meaningful action to protect them,” said Pollack.

Amnesty International’s study showed that across Colombia:

*At least 1,400 civilians were killed in 2007, up from 1,300 in 2006. Of the cases where the perpetrator is known, the security forces were responsible for at least 330 of these, the paramilitaries for around 300 and the guerrilla for some 260.

*As many as 305,000 Colombians were displaced in 2007, compared with 220,000 in 2006.

*At least 190 people were victims of either enforced disappearances by the security forces and paramilitaries or missing following abductions by guerrilla groups in 2007, up from around 180 in 2006.

Amnesty International is calling on all parties to the Colombian conflict to demonstrate the political will to end human rights abuses. The organization also urges the international community to make greater efforts to ensure that both sides of the conflict respect the human rights of Colombians.

Note to Editors
Amnesty International’s 94-page report, “‘Leave us in peace!’ Targeting civilians in Colombia’s internal armed conflict,” includes a series of recommendations which, if adopted by the government and guerrilla forces, could contribute to ending the country’s human rights tragedy.

Amnesty International is a Nobel Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 2.2 million supporters, activists and volunteers in over 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied.

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For an embargoed copy of the report, with case studies and a fact sheet, please contact: Suzanne Trimel, 212-633-4150, strimel@aiusa.org

The report and materials will be available online after 6 a.m. EDT on Oct. 28 at www.amnesty.org/en/for-media

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