Colombia - UN envoy: Bogota claims against Farc ‘not true’
Colombia - UN envoy: Bogota claims against Farc ‘not true’
Jun Tuesday 30th 2015
posted by Morning Star in World
by Our Foreign Desk
COLOMBIAN authorities’ accusation that Marxist rebels made farmers drive the police out of their village are false, a UN envoy said on Sunday.
Hundreds of riot police were sent to take control of the south-western village of El Mango on Saturday, four days after residents burnt down a makeshift barracks and demanded that police leave.
Authorities accused the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) of coercing the villagers into expelling the police.
UN human rights representative in Colombia Todd Howland said the accusation was unfair.
“People feel they receive very little benefit because police in these conflict zones don’t actually do police work,” he said.
“They’re sandbagged in. It’s like having a military base in town.”
More:
http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/a-ef60-Colombia-UN-envoy-Bogota-claims-against-Farc-not-true
