Colombia's new president faces awkward questions over civilian murders

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Deutsche Welle

12.07.2010
Colombia's new president faces awkward questions over civilian murders

New Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos faces a difficult month before his inaugeration in August as the UN Human Rights Council is expected to hear allegations about his and his predecessor's role in civilian deaths.

Victory for Santos in Colombia's election runoff against rival Antanas Mockus, a former defense minister, may mean a new leader takes the reins but his presidency will mean an old scandal will continue to dog and haunt the country.

As Santos prepares to take over from out-going President Álvaro Uribe on August 7, his and his predecessor's names are expected to feature in hearings at the UN Human Rights Council this month on allegations relating to their roles in the illegal killings of civilians.

While serving in the Uribe administration as defense minister between 2006 and 2009, Santos was in charge of the military at a time when the Colombian army's alleged policy of murdering civilians in so-called "false positive" killings was at its height. It is alleged that army units killed civilians to artificially increase the number of combat fatalities in battles against rebel group the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Read more: http://www.dw-world.de/dw/article/0,,5784495,00.html?maca=en-rss-en-world-4025-rdf

[ck4829]

1. If Santos was Venezuelan instead of Colombian, this human rights issue would be up front and center

But he's not, so the bodies will stay buried.

K&R.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Behavior like this by the Venezuelan President and his defense minster would have destroyed him

years, and years ago, as soon as the first stories started coming out.

These killings of civilians to enhance the image of the "enemy" as larger than it is, and enhance the effort of the military, and paramilitaries as fighters (fighting unarmed, unsuspecting innocent young poor men and burying them unceremoniously in mass graves, or even zapping them in the crematoria hidden at points around the country) would undoubtedly be seen as an INTERNATIONAL WAR CRIME. I don't see how it could be avoided in a just world.

Since it happened in Colombia the reaction by the power-crazed, and spiritually diseased right-wing is to think it's all good, and after all, crime is down because Uribe's criminal government says it is!

[txlibdem]

3. Aided and abetted by US tax payer dollars in the continuing failure that is our drug policy

How many billions of dollars do you throw down a bottomless pit? Unlimited in the failed "war on drugs" if you ask the Corporatistas.

[fascisthunter]

4. damn straight