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Colombia trying to whitewash massacres by coining term 'collective homicides'
by Adriaan Alsema August 26, 2020
Colombia’s President Ivan Duque-proposed to use the euphemism “collective homicide” instead of “massacre,” but was ignored after two particularly violent weeks.
Duque coined the euphemism used by the military earlier this week after five massacres and several other mass killings shocked the country and sparked fears of a relapse to the extreme violence of the beginning of the century.
. . .
None of the massacres this month appeared to be related to drug trafficking in any way, but Trujillo tried to use the massacres to seek support for his so-far failed attempts to resume the aerial fumigation of coca.
. . .
Several studies conducted during the country’armed conflict indicated that the mass media’s use of euphemisms in cases of violence committed by paramilitaries severely distorted public perception of the current reality in Colombia.
More:
https://colombiareports.com/colombia-trying-to-whitewash-massacres-by-coining-term-collective-homicides/
