| Samenvatting: | In Columbia the military literally get away with murder. Army counter-insurgency strategy, honed in 40 years of conclict, with guerrillas, is the backdrop to massacre upon massacre. Widespread humam rights violations go unpunished.
Since 1986, over 20,000 people have died in political violence. Many died in confrontations between guerrillas and government forces. But most were peasant farmers in conflict zones.
The government blames most political violence on drug-trafficking organizations and guerrilla forces. Drug-traffickers and guerrillas have committed grave abuses. But evidence drawn from thousands of cases, and the chilling statistics of political murder, shows that the security forces and their paramilitary allies are responsible for most killings.
In this report, Amnesty International describes the human rights violations carried out with impunity. The report also traces the development of the paramilitary forces from the army's network of village "self-defence" groups to a powerful killing machine.
Succesive governments have promised to restore respect for human rights. These promises have been broken. Until the governmement finds the political will to fulfil past promises, human rights violations will continue.
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| Trefwoorden: | Colombia, politiek, macht, geweld, mythen, realiteit, mensenrechten, Amnesty International, geschiedenis, terrorisme, guerilla, paramilitaire organisaties, oorspronkelijke bevolking, terreur, kidnapping, gijzelingen, militair rechtssysteem, politie, corruptie, |