Colombian human rights situation 'grim' in 2012: NGO
Source: Colombia Reports
Colombian human rights situation 'grim' in 2012: NGO
Friday, 18 May 2012 10:45
Rosemary Westwood
With the passage of the Free Trade Agreement (FTA), the United States and Colombian governments need to protect human rights defenders and trade unionists in the Andean nation more than ever, according to testimony at a U.S. committee hearing on Thursday.
Lisa Haugaard of the Latin America Working Group told a U.S. congressional committee for the advocacy of human rights that 2012 has remained "grim" for unionists and human rights defenders in Colombia, 13 of whom were killed in the first three months of the year. According to Haugaard, 64 "acts of aggression" were carried out in the same period.
While the Santos administration in particular has made strides to improve the climate for defenders of worker and human rights, Haugaard said "the situation ... continues to deteriorate."
She pointed to the oft-cited case of Daniel Aguirre, secretary general for the sugar cutter's union SINALCORTEROS, who was shot and killed April 27 -- the second Colombian unionist killed since Presidents Barack Obama and Juan Manuel Santos announced the start of the FTA between the U.S. and Colombia.
Read more: http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/24129-us-committee-hears-plea-for-improved-human-rights-protection-in-colombia.html
