Far-right group the “Aguilas Negras” sent a death threat to 99 human rights workers and politicians, while praising Colombia’s “best-ever president,” Senator Alvaro Uribe.
In the letter 99 people are named, including 35 woman from various human rights and social welfare organizations, NGOs and political parties.
The letter was sent directly to Corporation Nuevo Arco Iris, a Colombian conflict analyst group on Wednesday afternoon.
Previous threats from Aguilas Negras have been received via human rights group Redepaz.
“Colombia’s best president of all times”
The letter explicitly threatened Senator Ivan Cepeda, who the group claimed be an enemy of the people and of Uribe, who they viewed as the best Colombian president ever.
“It is high time that we help those Communists pigs, who have screwed our country, to retire from politics and save their pig lives, people like Ivan Cepeda, notorious for persecuting and slandering the best president of Colombia of all times, Alvaro Uribe,” the letter signed by the Central Command of the Aguilas Negras said.
Cepada, politician with Alternative Democratic Pole party and victim rights defender, is the main target of the letter.
The senator recently grilled Uribe over the latter’s alleged former connections to slain drug lord Pablo Escobar and right wing paramilitary group AUC.
Cepeda has led the recent wave of condemnation against the tarnished former president Uribe, and delivered a lengthy speech filled with evidence outlining supposed connections between Uribe and former drug traffickers, as well as paramilitary leaders.
However, the leftist senator’s ongoing attacks on his biggest political rival have resulted in previous death threats.
Uribe’s rise to power in the 1980s took place at a time when powerful drug traffickers such as Pablo Escobar played a commanding role in Colombian politics is viewed as suspicious by many.
Aguilas Negras dripping praise of the former president will only further tie the links between Uribe and criminal and paramilitary groups in the heads of many Colombians.
Death threats see alarming spike
The recent threats follow a concerning trend in Colombian society, a country with a shocking level of violence, threats and intimidation against journalists and human rights defenders.
The Colombia ambassador for the U.N received death threats against 91 human rights workers in September and officially urged the Colombian government to publicly reject the threats and to take measures to assure the protection and safety of those involved in human rights work in Colombia.
2013 was labelled the worst period of safety for human rights workers in Colombia in Colombian history and saw the murder of 37 human rights defenders in less than 6 months, between January and June 2013.
Colombia has seen a drop in the murder of human rights defenders and community leaders compared to 2013, but a recent report by Colombian NGO “Somos Defensores” indicated that death threats are on the rise.
According to the report, the majority of the crimes committed against human rights defenders are committed by paramilitary successor groups and the army.
Letter from the Aguilas Negras
Sources
- Amenazados 100 demócratas y defensores de los derechos humanos (Corporacion Nuevo Arco Iris)
- Old wounds and allegations of paramilitary ties against Uribe resurface (La Opinion)