Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Antioquia (Agenzia Fides) - A research carried out between 1 December 2012 and November 15, 2013, recently presented by human rights organizations in Colombia, summarizes attacks, threats and violence against human right defenders in the province of Antioquia, in the north of the country. A summary of the report, compiled annually, sent to Fides by Adital, presents the situation under the title "Between the dream of peace and the continuation of war".
Over the past 11 months 507 cases have been reported, an increase of 470 %. The alarming increase of threats and attacks, according to the report, is mainly due to the criminalization of popular protest by authorities (regional and state). Among the examples reported by the press, those that occurred during the months of July, August and part of September, 2013, such as the march and strike of miners and farmers, are facts that occurred throughout the country (see Fides 17/09/2013, 24/07/2013 and 15/07/2013).
Making a comparison with the past, the report notes that from 2010 to 15 November 2013, 1,153 attacks against people who work in favor of human rights were recorded: in 2010 there were 108 cases, 164 in 2011, in 2012 they rose to 374, while in the last 11 months 507 cases have been reported. The big problem, according to the report, is that the government, which should ensure additional measures to protect human rights, is taking steps to criminalize protests that, according to the Constitution, is a right of all people. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 13/12/2013)
