Bogota endures increasing paramilitaries

Caracas, Venezuela, 21 June 2008. According to an article at Colombian newspaper Vanguardia Liberal today,  rightist paramilitary groups operate in more than 20 districts of Bogota where 7 million people live. They indulge in selective killings, drug trafficking, running prostitution rings and money laundry. Paramilitaries use threats to force people to join their organization or allow their activities. 

A report by Local Personeria shows that paramilitary activities is far greater than publicly acknowledged. It is also a contradictory fact against allegations made by Colombian government. Alvaro Uribe´s administration says illegal paramilitary activity does not exist in Colombian capital city. It claims only criminal activity attack Bogotá inhabitants. Furthermore, it claims that the invitation made to paramilitaries to surrender arms -demilitarisation- worked out beautifully.32,000 members of United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) joined the peace process nationwide.

Such sad report comes along another saddling fact. Commission of Colombian Jurists has certified that Colombia leads the rank of countries where Human Rights activists are killed the most. In an article published by Semana today, says they are targeted by different flanks. Government, guerrilla and paramilitaries kill them. In February 2007, President Uribe equated Human Rights activists with terrorists wearing civil clothes. Last year alone, 44 Human Right activists were killed. 39 of them were labour Union activists.

 Sources: Vanguardia Liberal, Semana,