Colombia: Latest killing of human rights defender throws controversial paramilitary demobilization p

[Say_What]

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Colombia: Latest killing of human rights defender throws controversial paramilitary demobilization process into further doubt

Amnesty International condemns the killing of human rights defender Yolanda Izquierdo in the city of Montería, Córdoba Department, on 31 January. Yolanda Izquierdo was reportedly shot several times by gunmen suspected of being linked to army-backed paramilitary groups.

Yolanda Izquierdo had been the victim of several death threats since December 2006 and had days previously reported them to the local authorities and requested protection. These threats are believed to have stemmed from her work representing survivors of paramilitary human rights violations at the demobilization hearing of paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso.

The killing was clearly designed to silence those brave enough to speak out against the human rights violations, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed by paramilitaries such as Salvatore Mancuso, and by those who have supported the paramilitaries, either politically, economically or militarily, including members of the security forces, as well as powerful economic and political interests.

The killing of Yolanda Izquierdo once again raises serious doubts about a supposed demobilization process that continues to disregard the right of victims to truth, justice and reparation and which has patently failed to effectively dismantle paramilitary groups.

Amnesty International has repeatedly warned that paramilitary groups continue to operate and to violate human rights throughout the country, despite Colombian government assurances that over 30,000 combatants have demobilized.

http://www.amnestyusa.org/news/document.do?id=ENGAMR230022007

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Lapdog Bush pal Uribe's Personal Secretary and main advisor is Jose Obdulio Gaviria, direct cousin of Pablo Escobar Gaviria. Uribe's brother, Santiago Uribe, was the founder of a group of paramilitaries killers "the 12 apostles". Yesterday, Colombian Senator Gustavo Petro, accused Uribe of covering up for the brother. Petro has received many death threats and days ago said that if he or anyone in his family is killed that they will hold Uribe responsible.

[Judi Lynn]

1. When ARE people going to wake up about this country?

There's so much going on there now, and it ALL makes the Colombian government look hideous. I really hope some kind of justice will manage to win, but it will take a miracle, won't it?

I'm coming back later to study your last remark. That's very intense, isn't it? Some of us have heard about Uribe already from an unimpeachable source.

[Say_What]

2. That information came from a Colombian friend who we communicate

with on a pretty regular basis. He and his family also received death threats and were forced to leave their country quite a number of years ago.