56 arrested in Colombia over community leader killings: report
56 arrested in Colombia over community leader killings: report
written by Mira Galanova March 9, 2017
Colombia has made 56 arrests in investigations into the killings of 133 community leaders and rights activists that have taken place since the beginning of 2016. Assassins of four leaders have been convicted, prosecution sources told newspaper El Tiempo.
A court delivered the first verdict in the killing of an activist in 2016 for defending human rights, according to the source close to the investigations.
Prosecutors were able to prove that William Castillo Chima was killed because he defended families in Bajo Cauca, Antioquia, against threats from paramilitary group Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, a dissident faction of the now-defunct AUC paramilitary umbrella group.
According to conflict monitoring NGO Indepaz, 116 social leaders were assassinated in 2016. Colombia Reports has counted another 17 so far this year.
More:
http://colombiareports.com/56-arrested-colombia-community-leader-killings-report/
(As you may remember, the paramilitary death squads are radical right-wingers, and worked occassionally in connection with the Colombia military, and Colombian right-wing politicians from local to national levels.)
