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TORTURE VICTIMS IN COLOMBIA

COLOMBIA: Torture as a ‘Side Effect’ of Forced Disappearance, Killings
By Constanza Vieira

BOGOTA, Jul 22 (IPS) - The body of trade unionist Guillermo Rivera, who was missing since April, was finally found after 84 days of desperate searching by his family and friends.

The forensic experts reported that the body showed "clear signs of torture," Jorge Gómez, the widow's lawyer, told IPS.

The 52-year-old Rivera was last seen when he took his daughter to her bus stop on the morning of Apr. 22. A witness said she saw him arguing with the police as they handcuffed him and shoved him into a police car. "Why are you taking me?" she heard him ask the officers.

Security cameras located near Rivera’s home on the south side of Bogotá "showed that several police cars were present at the time and place where the gentleman disappeared," a source at the Attorney General’s Office told IPS.

IPS was able to confirm that there were four police cars and several motorcycles.

The day after he went missing, Rivera's wife, Sonia Betancur, received a call from the cell-phone of her husband, who worked for the city government, was the president of a Bogotá trade union and was a member of the Communist Party.

"The phone call was very confusing, she didn't understand a thing," said Gómez.

A week later, the Attorney General’s Office reported that the call had been made from San Martín, 159 km south of Bogotá, a town that is a centre of operations of the far-right paramilitaries in the province of Meta.

The National Commission for the Search for Disappeared Persons, created by law in 2006, finally located Rivera’s body.

His corpse had originally been found on Apr. 24 in a dump along a road near the city of Ibagué, 215 km east of the capital, and was buried in an unidentified grave in that city on Apr. 28.

When it was exhumed by the Commission, forensic exams and fingerprinting showed that the body belonged to Rivera, who was given a funeral on Jul. 17 in Bogotá, amidst protest demonstrations over his death.

"The search was marked by negligence and ineffectiveness on the part of the Attorney General’s Office," but in addition, "it can almost be said that there was complicity of all kinds by several state institutions in this disappearance," said Gómez, who served as ombudsman in the conflict-ridden region of Magdalena Medio between 2002 and 2006, "where 100 percent of forced disappearances have gone uninvestigated and unpunished."

"There is a series of elements that make it possible to say that he was ‘disappeared’ by the police," added another source, who clarified however that it was not the Metropolitan Police but "another state structure."

Rivera was the 28th trade unionist killed this year in Colombia, which has become the most dangerous country in the world for labour activists.

Another serious aspect of the case is that Rivera was tortured before he was killed.

Victims of murder or arbitrary detention are frequently tortured, according to the 2007 report on Torture and Cruel, Inhumane or Degrading Treatment in Colombia, presented last week in Bogotá by the Colombian Coalition Against Torture.

But torture in such cases is rarely mentioned, and is relegated to the category of a mere side effect, said lawyer Jahel Quiroga, director of Reiniciar, a group that forms part of the Coalition. "You often hear it said about a victim that ‘they killed him,’ but not that he was previously tortured," she added.

In fact it took IPS more than 24 hours to confirm that the forensic report on Rivera’s death showed that he had been tortured. The sources consulted invariably first mentioned his alleged arbitrary detention and extrajudicial execution.

The Coalition is also made up of the Association of Relatives of the Detained-Disappeared (ASFADDES), and five other local human rights groups, as well as the World Organisation Against Torture (OMCT) and the Italian chapter of Terre des Hommes.

Another member organisation, the Colombian Commission of Jurists, documented 346 cases of torture, in which 234 of the victims died, from July 2004 to June 2007. Last year alone, 93 cases were reported, in which 43 of the victims were killed.

Of the total number of torture victims documented by the human rights group, 18 were women and 11 were children.

The report blames 90 percent of the cases on the state - 70.4 percent for "direct perpetration" by state agents and 19.7 percent as a result of tolerance of, or support for, human rights abuses carried out by paramilitary groups.

Leftwing guerrilla groups were held responsible for 9.8 percent of the cases, the report adds.

The Coalition states that torture in Colombia is systematic, widespread and deliberate, and is used as a means of political persecution with the goal of sowing terror among individuals, communities and social movements.

The victims are frequently peasant farmers living in war zones, where state security forces are stronger than civilian authorities and officials. Other frequent victims are human rights defenders, social activists and trade unionists like Rivera.

An undetermined number of torture cases in rural areas end in extrajudicial executions that are later reported as "deaths in combat", says the Coalition, which provides the figure of 955 victims presumably killed by the security forces in the five years up to June 2007 (including 236 murdered from July 2006 to June 2007 alone).

Torture is also often associated with forced disappearance. ASFADDES says signs of appalling torture have been found on the majority of human remains found in common graves and clandestine cemeteries, whose location has been revealed by members of paramilitary militias who have taken part in a demobilisation process negotiated with the government, in order to gain legal benefits and lenient sentences.

The Coalition also mentions 235 forced disappearances "directly attributable to the public forces" in the five years up to June 2007.

"Torture is a war crime. It is, precisely, one of the crimes contemplated in the system established by the International Criminal Court (ICC)," OMCT director Eric Sottas told IPS.

"It is clear that at some point, the ICC could exercise its jurisdiction over this" in Colombia, he added.

This civil war-torn country ratified the Rome Statute, which created the ICC, in August 2002.

The Coalition reports that no perpetrators have been identified or punished in nearly 90 percent of torture cases, principally because of the state’s refusal to acknowledge the persistence of this phenomenon.

Article 8 of the Rome Statute states that "The Court shall have jurisdiction in respect of war crimes in particular when committed as a part of a plan or policy or as part of a large-scale commission of such crimes."

That makes particularly significant the Coalition report’s conclusion that "torture in Colombia is a systematic and generalised practice."

The Coalition recommends that the rightwing government of �?lvaro Uribe ratify the Facultative Protocol to the U.N. Convention Against Torture, which provides for the possibility of truth-finding visits to signatory countries.

It also urges the government to require demobilised paramilitary fighters to provide full confessions of their crimes, including torture, in order to be eligible for legal benefits.

In addition, it calls on the state to adopt a specific public policy aimed at preventing torture and putting an end to the impunity that surrounds such cases. (END/2008)

Send your comments to the editor

RIGHTS-COLOMBIA: Making the ‘Disappeared’ Reappear
Colombia, a Nation Torn - More IPS News

By mariacvetanoski on Jul 23, 2008, 06:26 in Politics & the war.

Dolfi says on Jul 23, 2008, 06:42:

One more case of cooperation between colombian security forces and paramilitaries; not surprising.

Here: http://survey07.ituc-csi.org/getcountry.php?IDCountry=COL&IDLang=ES you find a list of 78 trade unionists who have been murdered in Colombia in 2006. In most cases there has been no investigation by the police.

0 funny, 1 helpful.

Gator says on Jul 23, 2008, 07:30:

IPS (Interpress News Service) hardly a beacon in objective news reporting. Slightly to the left of Karl Marx but then make you own judgement.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

1 funny, 0 helpful.

Desideria (Moderator) says on Jul 23, 2008, 07:50:

Just wondering how objective you can be about apparent signs of torture. They're either there or not. If they are there, somebody is responsible for it; very unlikely the deceased has done that himself.

I'm very disturbed by this articel, especially if it's true that he was in the custody of some legal police unit.

"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

0 funny, 0 helpful.

pobrecito says on Jul 23, 2008, 08:03:

Gator, where do you find objective news reporting ?

"Bravo President Bush for the perfect Jaque operation !"

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tasco66 says on Jul 23, 2008, 08:05:

Were the “sources" of this story the same ones that made up the story of the $20 million ransom rescue operation?

Whenever you see a left wing outlet quote any kind of source (without naming it), it is very likely that the whole story has been made up to serve their cause.

Bravo, Presidente Uribe for the perfect operation!

2 funny, 0 helpful.

Gator says on Jul 23, 2008, 08:06:

Lot's of "ifs"in your post, Desi.

The story also said, "It also urges the government to require demobilised paramilitary fighters to provide full confessions of their crimes, including torture, in order to be eligible for legal benefits."

If they don't what next, torture them.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

0 funny, 0 helpful.

juancegomez says on Jul 23, 2008, 08:08:

Though I also have reservations about IPS, and would have preferrred if more details were provided to back up certain statements and other pieces of information mentioned elsewhere...I agree with Desi that the content of article is disturbing and that, whatever one might say about the details, the fact is that this man -and others- have been tortured, killed or disappeared, often apparently by or with the participation of members of the security forces. That is a serious problem that does not usually receive the attention it needs, I can't deny that, whether intentionally or otherwise (or both), regardless of one's personal political preferences. This is a subject of basic humanity.

On the other hand, small parts of the article also make it known that there are in fact institutions within the state that work against these things, even if not always efficiently. That this man's body could be found instead of being forever lost, like so many others, can't possibly make up for his murder, no, but it is something that should be supported, even as more efforts are demanded to actually prevent this from happening in the first place.

0 funny, 4 helpful.

tasco66 says on Jul 23, 2008, 08:09:

According to a very reliable source of mine, most torture in Colombia is the work of the narco-terrorist guerrillas…

Bravo, Presidente Uribe for the perfect operation!

4 funny, 0 helpful.

Gator says on Jul 23, 2008, 08:49:

It is inarguable that liberals – in the modern sense of the word – are the most flawless human beings on the planet. They are smarter, better-educated, wealthier, kinder and morally superior to those benighted quasi-Neanderthals called conservatives, who would like nothing better than to drag society back to the Middle Ages, or, according to some high-minded liberal theorists, the Iron Age.

How do we know this? Why, liberals tell us so! Perhaps it has escaped me, but I have not personally witnessed any call for a return to the monarchy, much less land grants held in fief, on the part of even the most conservative Colombian. But being a liberal means never having to worry about the facts. Facts can be uncomfortable, and of course, anything that makes anyone uncomfortable is a violation of our natural rights. The only fact that matters is the foundational fact that you can only feel what is right, so if a fact happens to contradict your feelings, obviously that fact must be wrong. Sentio, ergo rectum.

Due to this inescapable and irrefutable logic, I have finally been convinced that I will be healthier, happier and wealthier if I join the large-brained ranks of the morally superior elite. I have therefore decided to become a liberal. Already I have benefited greatly from my decision – whereas many previous discussions ended in a frustrating impasse, now, being inestimably more clever and better-looking than before, I am able to win any argument with the greatest of ease. Let me share with you the secret of my success.

1. Make an untrue statement, preferably on the subject of something about which you know nothing.
2. Express astonishment that your source could possibly be inaccurate.
3. Demand what motivation your source would have to lie.
4. Assert that the other party's inability to articulate this motivation is tantamount to proof that your source is not lying.
5. Question the motivation of the contrary source.
6. Argue that all sources are equal and that therefore the contrary source is irrelevant.
7. Change the subject.

Alternatively ...

1. Make an untrue statement.
2. Deny that you said what you said.
3. Deny that the other party understood what you said.
4. Deny that the words you used mean what the other party claims they mean.
5. Redefine your definition and hope the other person forgets the previous one. Repeat as needed.
6. Assert that since definitions are irrelevant and subjective, the other person is mean-spirited, racist, sexist, intolerant and obsessive.
7. Change the subject.

Remember: As long as you haven't admitted you're wrong, you are right. Any attempt to demonstrate otherwise is evidence of criminal hate and probably mental imbalance, too. Never forget that an answer to a question you have asked should always be regarded as a personal attack if the answer is something you don't like.

Now, if you don't mind, I should probably go exercise my new-found moral superiority. The world won't save itself, after all – not without the fount of all that is good and wise and smart and cute, which is to say, me.

Of course, no one here fits this definition. Thanks WorldNetDaily.com

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

2 funny, 1 helpful.

tasco66 says on Jul 23, 2008, 08:53:

The problem is that many Farc torture victims either don’t talk about it (what happens in the jungle stays in the jungle) or it does not get reported like the paraco torture victims

Bravo, Presidente Uribe for the perfect operation!

1 funny, 0 helpful.

tasco66 says on Jul 23, 2008, 08:55:

Gator, that is very good description and we have seen many examples of this here

Bravo, Presidente Uribe for the perfect operation!

1 funny, 0 helpful.

Desideria (Moderator) says on Jul 23, 2008, 09:02:

I dunno, Tio Gator, your source doesn't sound too independent either
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"When shall we three meet again? In thunder, lightning, or in rain?"(First Witch in Macbeth)

0 funny, 1 helpful.

romy says on Jul 23, 2008, 09:03:

The conservative 'bible belt' bunch believe they have absolute answers to everything, ridicule and false accusations is their main weapon. Who changed the subject from the OP here?
"Slightly left of Karl Marx"... can you elaborate on that?

0 funny, 1 helpful.

Gator says on Jul 23, 2008, 09:12:

No!

Romy, see Number 7 and under Alternatively numbers 6 and 7

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

1 funny, 0 helpful.

romy says on Jul 23, 2008, 09:15:

I guess you are 'absolutely right' by your definitions.... it's cool to make up your own rules to the game and have everyone play by them eh?

0 funny, 1 helpful.

Gator says on Jul 23, 2008, 09:34:

Romy, see Number 7 and under Alternatively numbers 6 and 7

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

1 funny, 0 helpful.

Lcacique says on Jul 23, 2008, 13:30:

It is inarguable that conservatives are the most flawless human beings on the planet. They are smarter, better-educated, wealthier, kinder and morally superior to those benighted quasi-neanderthals called liberals.

In fact, you would be hard-pressed to find any liberal leaders in Latin American history that deserve to be mentioned in the same breath as such saintly figures as the Somoza family, Augusto Pinochet, Hugo Banzer, Rafael Trujillo, Raphael Videla, Alfredo Stroessner, Leopoldo Galtieri, José Efraín Ríos Montt, Fulgencio Batista, Maximiliano Hernández Martínez, and the list goes on an on and on. Their honorable service allowed their respective countries to approach the artistic interpretation of Utopia captured by Hieronymus Bosch on the left panel of The Garden of Earthly Delights. Under these beatific statesmen, the blessed populations who were lucky enough to inherit such benevolent leaders watched as corruption was obliterated. Elections were now honest. Justice and equality spread to all corners of the country. Poverty and all words associated with it were erased from dictionaries because people could no longer fathom or understand such terms or concepts. Some have claimed that these countries were kleptocracies, but this is communist propaganda. The leaders that chose to deposit large amounts of the populations money in personal foreign bank accounts were only doing so in order to take advantage of high interests rates and they had every intention of returning the money while using a portion of the profits to build things like schools and hospitals. They also intended to utilize the profits to create new/higher paying jobs through increased diversification of their respective economies. Unlike leftist leaders, Latin America's conservative leaders supported free speech and they extended these rights to their harshest opponents. Most importantly, however, conservative leaders championed human rights. No longer did civilians have to worry about being detained illegally. The police and/or the military were no longer involved in things like forced disappearances, torture or the killing of innocent civilians. Instead, these organizations were employed to finally serve and protect and they did so magnificently. And who do we have to thank for this metamorphosis? God bless the conservative leaders of Latin America whose devotion to democracy as well as the well-being of their citizenry is worthy of eternal praise.

Hoy se nota en la floresta un ambiente de alegría. ¡Y el rumor de ranchería es mas dulce y sabe a fiesta!

0 funny, 1 helpful.

Gator says on Jul 23, 2008, 14:13:

Nice try, Lcacique, but a day late and a dollar short.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

0 funny, 0 helpful.

romy says on Jul 23, 2008, 14:25:

Lcacique's seems like a much stronger argument... at least he provided evidence.

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lcacique says on Jul 23, 2008, 17:10:

Oh come on Gator, I am in complete agreement. The conservatives are clearly superior to the liberals. History has demonstrated this over and over. It is a black and white issue (as you seem to argue), conservatives = good and liberals = evil. Yin and yang. Oil and water. There is absolutely NO gray area here. Any confusion over this issue is a clear example that the liberals are using their propaganda (one of the few areas where they are skilled) to brainwash people. However, make no mistake about it...the right is ALWAYS right. Why else would we call the conservative party the right-wing?

And look at that game plan that you describe above. It is obvious that such vile tactics are foreign to conservative leaders because they require overt dishonesty, a characteristic that is evil; therefore, such tactics clearly were created by and are used solely by liberals. Why people can't understand this is beyond me.

Hoy se nota en la floresta un ambiente de alegría. ¡Y el rumor de ranchería es mas dulce y sabe a fiesta!

1 funny, 0 helpful.

Gator says on Jul 23, 2008, 18:15:

Nice try, Lcacique, but a day late and a dollar short. BTW, you left out Fugimori from Peru

Romy, reread:

Alternatively ...

#5

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

0 funny, 0 helpful.

Lcacique says on Jul 23, 2008, 18:50:

Gator: "Nice try, Lcacique, but a day late and a dollar short. BTW, you left out Fugimori from Peru."

Wow, I get it...You are demonstrating yet another liberal tactic...by repeating a false statement over and over it becomes a true statement. Damn, you are well-versed in the liberal playbook. Excellent job, Gator!!! You almost have me believing that you have joined the darkside.

I believe you are referring to Fujimori from Peru. I did not forget him. I stated that the list goes on and on. Clearly, Fujimori was not the only right-leader that I failed to mention by name. But thank you very much for doing so. If you have nothing better to do, please include them all. It would be a wonderful opportunity to educate the confused leftists on pbh. Maybe they would see the light and finally accept the obvious: that the conservative party is superior in all aspects. With such a long list, it would be impossible (even for feeble-minded liberals) to deny such a fact.

Hoy se nota en la floresta un ambiente de alegría. ¡Y el rumor de ranchería es mas dulce y sabe a fiesta!

0 funny, 1 helpful.

Gator says on Jul 23, 2008, 19:02:

Nice try, Lcacique, but a day late and a dollar short.

"Credidi pretio parvo emere et magno vendere tibi in animo fuisse!" .

1 funny, 1 helpful.