Neo-paramilitaries threaten unionists and return of stolen land

[Judi Lynn]

Neo-paramilitaries threaten unionists and return of stolen land
Saturday, 25 September 2010 11:51 Adriaan Alsema

http://colombiareports.com.nyud.net:8090/pics/paramilitary/paramilitaries3.jpg

The Colombian government admits that criminal groups that emerged from demobilized paramilitary organization AUC are threatening labor unionists and citizens helping the government to return land stolen by the AUC.

According to Radio Caracol, Interior and Justice Minister German Vargas Lleras told that security agencies detected "specific action" to attack labor unions. Without referring to suspected perpetrators, the minister said that local union leaders are already being attacked. "This corresponds to a well-oriented action to attack the unions," the Minister told the radio station.

"When you attack the bases of the organizations it affects union activity and it is very difficult to act," Vargas Lleras added.

According to Eduardo Pizarro, director of the government Reparation and Reconciliation Commission, neo-paramilitary groups are behind recent attacks on community leaders who cooperate with the government to return stolen land to farmers.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/12040-neo-paramilitaries-threaten-return-of-stolen-land.html

[gbscar]

1. Even those most skeptical should accept that admitting there is a problem is necessary...

...before anything resembling a solution can remotely approach the table.

In that sense, that Vargas is readily willing to do so is already more than what would have been expected of most of Uribe's Interior Ministers (yes, he had several). Evidently, it is not enough if this isn't followed up by actual measures to protect those who have been threatened. Even if the minister's intentions are genuine, this isn't something that can be turned "on" or "off" like a light switch.