Colombian Communities Reveal Crisis of Paramilitary Violence
Colombian Communities Reveal Crisis of Paramilitary Violence
Published 15 April 2016
Paramilitary activity is on the rise as the government nears a peace deal with the FARC and threatens to undermine a definitive end of the internal conflict.
As Colombia continues to inch toward peace with the FARC, the Congress held a public hearing on Friday to hear testimonies of how groups from all over the country are impacted by paramilitary activity, one of the gravest threats to the impending peace deal that will bring an end to over 50 years of internal armed conflict.
Representatives of Indigenous and campesino organizations, peace activists, and human rights lawyers gathered at the National Congress in Bogota to raise awareness nationally and internationally about the harsh reality lived by communities affected by paramilitaries.
David Flores of the Marcha Patriotica movement argued that the continuation of paramilitaries exposes the fact that the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos is not fully committed to definitively ending the conflict.
“The presence and dominance of paramilitaries in these regions, about a third of Colombia, show that the government is not serious about the accord,” Flores said. He added that the paramilitary problem represents a rejection not only of the peace process as a whole, but also the various partial deals that have been reached as part of the talks, including agreements on land reform.
More:
http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Colombian-Communities-Reveal-Crisis-of-Paramilitary-Violence-20160415-0045.html