Establishment candidate in Colombia’s elections linked to mafia
Far-right group goes from opposing communism to opposing...
ELN declares unilateral ceasefire ahead of Colombia’s elections
Colombia’s opposition dismisses US claim of ‘Russian threat’
Colombia’s drug policy a ‘failure’ that obstructed peace:...
Medellin government rejects ‘illegitimate’ interim mayor
Electoral violence in Colombia doubled since 2018
Colombia legalizes assisted suicide in historic ruling
Why Colombia’s upcoming elections could trigger a crisis
Colombia’s inspector general suspends mayors on election meddling...
  • About
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion
News

Afro-Colombian rights activists targeted by smear campaign

by Brett Borkan April 28, 2010

comision, justicia, paz, colombia

The recent threats against three Colombian human rights activists form part of an ongoing campaign to publicly discredit and smear their work of protecting Afro-Colombian communities in the Choco region, according to the Inter-Church Commission for Justice and Peace.

According to the commission, the threats against Danilo Rueda, Father Alberto Franco, and Father Javier Giraldo, which include accusations of terrorism and racial discrimination, death threats, kidnapping threats, and illegal phone and email intercepts, come as a result of their work to investigate human rights abuses by paramilitary organizations since 1996 in the Bajo Atrato region of the department of Choco, ALC Noticias reported Wednesday.

In addition, threatening messages have been written via graffiti across Bogota against Father Javier Giraldo.

A press release from the Center for Investigation and Popular Education, the Colombian NGO where Father Giraldo works, denounced the threats and vowed to keep fighting to protect human rights. “We reject these threats against Father Giraldo, who has tried to defend human rights and not leave the crimes against.. [human] rights to go unpunished.”

In regards to the activists’ operations in the Bajo Atrato region, an Afro-Colombian area severely hit by the conflict, the commission said that opponents to their work “seek to discredit and destroy the efforts [of the three activists] to protect life and land… The region is found within an internal conflict zone and the operations of businesses are destroying the ecosystems.”

Residents of the Bajo Atrato account for over 16% of the total displaced people in Colombia, according to the Citizen Commission for Monitoring Displacement. This is due to paramilitaries forcefully taking control of large portions of land for cultivation and to exploit the large quantities of natural resources.

ChocodisplacementFather Javier Giraldoparamilitaries

Trending

  • Why Colombia’s upcoming elections could trigger a crisis

  • Colombia’s inspector general suspends mayors on election meddling charges

  • Medellin government rejects ‘illegitimate’ interim mayor

Related articles

  • AGC kill 26 during 4-day terror campaign in northern Colombia

  • AGC shuts down northwest Colombia after extradition of “Otoniel”

  • Petro’s kill plot claims confirm Colombia’s failed security policy

  • RSS

@2008-2019 - Colombia Reports. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Digitale Zaken and Parrolabs


Back To Top