Human rights defenders in Colombia still face grave , according to an international report released Monday.
The by the US Office on Colombia (USOC) and the Latin America Working Group Education Fund (LAWGEF), travelled to eight regions of Colombia, and claimed human rights supporters continue to face threats, attacks and stigmatization at alarming levels.
Colombia lacks an effective policy strategy at dealing with threats towards human rights activists and this had led to an increase in impunity for those deemed responsible.
“These efforts represent a step backwards in terms of human rights protection in Colombia, especially in situations involving the investigation and punishment of military personnel responsible for grave human rights violations and international humanitarian law,” the report said.
The verification mission was carried out between November 28 and December 2 2011 by a team comprised of jurists, journalists and human rights activists from 15 different countries.