At least 22 teachers in Huila have been threatened by FARC rebels in the last 15 days, and just days ago the husband of another teacher was murdered in the region.
The widow was threatened by the suspected FARC members who murdered her husband in the rural area of Neiva, Jose Castellanos, president of the Association of Huila Educators, told the Colombian media outlet Caracol TV.
“He was killed in her presence and told that if she did not leave the territory, she would experience unpleasant events,” said the manager.
Another teacher said she was forced to leave their school, located in the village of San Antonio, also in the rural area of Neiva, capital of Huila.
“I am a teacher in San Antonio and I have received threats for some time and had to leave the village. I changed jobs, but I did not receive state protection,” said the teacher, who was not identified in the report.
Education Secretary Huila Ulpiano Manrique, said the case of the 22 teachers is being analyzed in order to determine what action should be taken.
“The Ministry of Education decided to collect the commission of displaced, in order to analyze this issue, which is so important for all teachers,” the official said.
The teacher asked the Ministry of Education to assess the threats.
In a separate report, El Tiempo on Friday said that 18 teachers have been killed so far this year in Colombia. Although that number is dramatically lower than previous years, it is a reminder that the profession can be dangerous.
“One teacher killed reflects a complex situation,” said Rafael Cuellar, vice president and manager of human rights for the Colombian Federation of Educators. Cuellar said that number could rise in December, a month in which “teachers let down their guard.”
Teachers also face threats, intimidation and extortion from paramilitary groups.
Since 2002, when 83 teachers were killed, there have been 295 reported deaths. According to the Federation of Educators only one of these crimes has been solved. The departments where the most cases have been recorded are Sucre, Caldas, Cauca and Córdoba.
Since 1986, 862 educators have been murdered, around 4,000 have been threatened, 1,070 were forced to leave their homes and work sites, 60 have disappeared and 70 more have left the country as refugees.
