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Colombia: Rice Should Press Uribe on Rights Issues

Colombia: Rice Should Press Uribe on Rights Issues

23 Jan 2008 17:40:56 GMT
Source: Human Rights Watch

(Washington, DC, January 23, 2008) � During her visit to Colombia this week, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice should press the Colombian government to show substantial results in addressing the serious human rights problems that jeopardize a proposed bilateral trade deal, Human Rights Watch said today. Rice is expected to be in Colombia on January 24 and 25 to promote a free trade agreement that the Bush administration has signed with Colombia's government. The leadership of the US House of Representatives has announced that it will delay approval of the deal until Colombia shows concrete and sustained results in addressing impunity for violence against trade unionists and in dismantling the paramilitary death squads responsible for much of the violence.

"Instead of pressing Congress to ignore Colombia's deplorable record, Secretary Rice should use the trade deal as leverage to press Colombia's government to effectively confront impunity and break the paramilitaries' power," said Jos� Miguel Vivanco, Americas director at Human Rights Watch.

Colombia has the worst record of violence against trade unionists in the world, with more than 2,500 killings since 1985 and nearly 3,500 threats against trade unionists since 1991, according to the National Labor School (ENS or Escuela Nacional Sindical), a highly respected labor rights group in Colombia. While the numbers of yearly killings fluctuates, during the administration of President �lvaro Uribe, the ENS has registered more than 400 killings and more than 1,300 threats against trade unionists.

A significant factor contributing to the violence is the Colombian government's persistent failure to bring the perpetrators to justice and fully dismantle paramilitary mafias that have deliberately targeted trade unionists. Fewer than 3 percent of the killings have ever been solved. Last year, the Colombian Attorney General's office established a specialized sub-unit to reopen some of these cases. However, it is too early to assess whether the sub-unit will produce substantial results.

Meanwhile, the Uribe administration is embroiled in a growing scandal over links involving high-ranking officials and more than 40 congressmen from Uribe's coalition with the paramilitaries. Rather than fully support investigations into these links, Uribe has repeatedly lashed out against the judges and journalists who are trying to uncover the extent of the paramilitaries' influence.

The Colombian government claims that, thanks to a demobilization program it has implemented, paramilitaries no longer exist. However, the Organization of American States (OAS) mission verifying the demobilizations has identified 22 illegal armed groups, in which paramilitaries are actively recruiting new troops and participating in drug trafficking, extortion, selective killings, and the forced displacement of civilians.

In Medellin, one of the cities that Secretary Rice is scheduled to visit, Human Rights Watch has received disturbing reports of continuing paramilitary activity. Recently, an OAS representative who monitors paramilitary demobilization in the city received a serious death threat.

Paramilitary commanders, many of whom are wanted on drug charges in the United States, have yet to fulfill commitments to give up the massive wealth they have amassed through decades of drug trafficking, crime, and forced takings of land. Nor have they disclosed substantial information that would ensure a full dismantlement of their mafia-like structures.

Human Rights Watch pointed out that it does not oppose free trade agreements per se. However, any free trade deal should be premised on respect for fundamental human rights, including the rights of workers. It is impossible for workers to fully exercise their rights if, as in Colombia, they often fear for their lives when doing so.

The bilateral trade deal presents a unique opportunity for the US government to press the Colombian authorities to finally address paramilitary power and impunity for anti-union violence in a serious fashion. Human Rights Watch opposes approval of the trade deal at this time, until Colombia shows concrete, substantial and sustained results in dealing with these problems.

Human Rights Watch noted that by rushing for ratification of the Colombia trade deal and disregarding Colombia's human rights problems, the Bush administration risks further damaging its credibility in a region that already questions the United States' commitment to human rights.

"If the Bush administration keeps turning a blind eye to Colombia's appalling human rights record, it will feed the common perception in Latin America that the United States applies a double standard on rights issues," said Vivanco.

http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/HRW/30abdd9224fe7f7a038c32030...

By juancegomez on Jan 23, 2008, 14:06 in Politics & the war.

Sr Tertius says on Jan 23, 2008, 16:28:

"However, any free trade deal should be premised on respect for fundamental human rights, including the rights of workers. It is impossible for workers to fully exercise their rights if, as in Colombia, they often fear for their lives when doing so."

Human rights, labor, and trade go hand in hand. Uribe would get more support for the FTA not only from the US, but also from within Colombia, if he acted on that premise.

"When the finger points to the moon, the fool looks at the finger" (Chinese proverb)

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juli says on Jan 23, 2008, 16:35:

Uribe shouldn't need the TLC looming over his head to take care of this. He's done a lot so far but uh... I personally think the TLC favors the US waaaay more than Colombia. I also think Uribe is sitting on his hands instead of dealing with many issues.

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Sr Tertius says on Jan 23, 2008, 16:55:

Juli, I've commented before that the question is not so much whether it favors Colombia more than the US or viceversa, but who in Colombia and who in the US benefit. But I agree with you, the TLC carrot shouldn't be necessary for Uribe to do his job. And that's a carrot that works for him and for some of those that support him, certainly not for everyone in Colombia.

"When the finger points to the moon, the fool looks at the finger" (Chinese proverb)

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juancegomez says on Jan 23, 2008, 18:58:

SrTeritus: "Human rights, labor, and trade go hand in hand. Uribe would get more support for the FTA not only from the US, but also from within Colombia, if he acted on that premise."

True enough.

Though for whatever it's worth, even for a government which doesn't really try to act on that premise, at least some minimal progress has been made in some of those areas, even if it's rather mixed and sometimes even contradicted by different developments. In any case, I do hope a future administration at least assumes a different position and tries to act on it much more efficiently and sincerely.

As for the FTA/TLC in itself...what hasn't been said already?

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scotty says on Jan 23, 2008, 19:43:

Rice should advise Bush to help Uribe clean out rebels

Get Rhythm, when you got the blues. Johnny Cash

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miamimike says on Jan 24, 2008, 02:52:

miamimike says on Thursday January 24th, 2008 2:49: edit

All Uribe and Colombia needs to do is pursue a more Vigorous Investigation into the Deaths of these Colombia Trade Unionists and News Reporters who have been killed in the Past(and still occuring). Once this occurs and with Results, Congressional opposition to the Free Trade pacts will fall. All US Aid and trade pacts come with "Strings Attached" and this Trade pact is no different. Rice is looking for any foreign policy coup to hang her Hat on as to date, she has an Empty rack of Accomplishments.

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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juancegomez says on Jan 24, 2008, 07:50:

"All Uribe and Colombia needs to do is pursue a more Vigorous Investigation into the Deaths of these Colombia Trade Unionists and News Reporters who have been killed in the Past(and still occuring)."

Yes, but strictly speaking things are, very slowly and still insufficiently, moving in that direction...there are less deaths right now and more investigations (and even more successful ones), though of course that hardly resolves the issue, nor does it remove the huge backlog of unresolved murders and so forth.

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slguy says on Jan 24, 2008, 08:37:

I know this data would be incomplete as best, and probably even non-existent - but I sure would love to see meaningful data...

Everyone all over the world complains about only 3% of suspected para killings of trade unionists being solved. Exactly how different is this, statistically, from all the other murders in Colombia? How many sicario killings are solved? What's the overall success rate of solving murders? Never mind, how many FARC are successfully prosecuted. ;)

Before you throw me out, make sure I pay my bar tab

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