Human Rights

Colombia

Derechos
Equipo Nizkor

Espanol

Terror, extra-judicial executions and disappearances seem like every day ocurrences in Colombia. Government-supported death squads battle with terrorists groups and drug lords to impose a real state of terror over large parts of the population. Human Rights workers, lawyers and judges - as well as peasants - are among the most common victims of these groups. Hundreds of thousands of people have been displaced from their lands. Impunity reigns.

The Colombian government and the Clinton administration have come up with a military-economic plan for the eradication of coke that threatens to increase the armed conflict. This Plan Colombia provides for increased US involvement in the internal war that plagues Colombia and may result in the intensification of the conflict. Meanwhile, a frangible peace process is the only real hope the people of Colombia have for the restoration of their human rights.

You can find here English language information and links about the human rights situation in Colombia. More information is available in Spanish.




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Actions | Plan Colombia | Peace Process | Reports | Victims | UN | OAS | Analysis | Declarations | NGOs | Government & Law | Media | Discussion | Links


News & Actions on Colombia

Information on HR violations/Urgent Actions

  • Letter to President Alvaro Uribe from 57 members of Congress.
    Washington, 23Sep03 [ENG/ING]
  • Schakowsky, Colleagues Call on Secretary Powell to Publicly Dissociate the US from Uribe's Comments and Pressure Him to Protect Human Rights in Colombia.
    Washington, 22Sep03 [ENG/ING]
  • Commander of the Military Forces, Jorge Enrique Mora Rangel, organizes a press conference against Justice and Peace.
    Inter-Ecclesiastic Commission of Justice and Peace, Bogota, 22Aug03
  • A paramilitary attack is feared as military operations continue against CAVIDA.
    Inter-Ecclesiastic Commission of Justice and Peace, Bogota, 14Jun03
  • Members of the Community Council of the Jiguamiando and Curbarado are presumed disappeared.
    Inter-Ecclesiastic Commission of Justice and Peace, Bogota, 13Jun03
  • Actions from the World Organization Against Torture on Colombia
  • IFEX Alerts
    On freedom of expression in Colombia
  • Voice for Colombians
    Campaign from the U.S. Committee for Refugees
  • Spanish Language Urgent Actions

  • Plan Colombia

  • All the Documents on Plan Colombia

  • Peace Process

  • All the Documents on the Peace Process

  • Reports

  • US Dpt of State Human Rights Reports on Colombia
    2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997 | 1996
  • US Dpt of State Reports on Religious Freedom in Colombia
  • 2000 | 1999
  • Report on Forced Displacement in Colombia - 1999
    by the Support Group for Displaced People Organizations - GAD, March 2000
  • Organization and Operation of Intelligence Networks
    Colombian Armed Forces Directive No. 200-05/91
  • Human Rights Watch Reports
  • Investigations into the murders of journalists in Colombia in the last decade, 1993-2003
    IAPA, April 2004
  • Colombia Eligible for U.S. Military Aid.
    Associated Press y Yahoo, 27Jan04
  • Colombia and the United States signed an accord that exempts Americans from prosecution before the ICC.
    The Associated Press, 18Sep03
  • Recent Massacres Committed by Paramilitaries Linked to the Colombian Military
    Nov 2000
  • Building Peace in the Midst of War: Civil Society Initiatives in Colombia
    WOLA, May 2000
  • Amnesty International Reports and Press Releases on Colombia
  • Refugee Information
  • Colombia: A Country Study - US Library of Congress
  • Letter of Father Javier Giraldo on the situation in Uraba
    1997
  • Spanish Language Reports

  • Victims

  • Activists alarmed at new Anti-Terrorism Law.
    Yadira Ferrer by IPS, Bogota, Col, 23Dec03
  • Rural colombians flocking to Bogotá need more help.
    UN News Service, NY, 09Oct03
  • Commander of the Military Forces, Jorge Enrique Mora Rangel, organizes a press conference against Justice and Peace.
    Commission Inter-ecclesial of Justice and Peace, Bogotá, August 22, 2003
  • Colombian Trade Unionists Assassinated Between January 1st and October 23rd 2000

  • United Nations Information/Actions

  • Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia
  • UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Reports on Colombia
    2002 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998
  • Report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Human Rights Defenders, Hina Jilani, about her mission to Colombia.
    E/CN.4/2002/106/Add.2 - 28 March 2002.
  • UN Human Rights Activities vis a vis Colombia
    2000 | 1999 | 1998 | 1997
  • UN Treaty Body Documents for Colombia
  • UN Charter Body Documents for Colombia
  • In Spanish

  • OAS Information/Actions

    Inter-American Commission on Human Rights

  • Third Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Colombia
    1999
  • Second Report on the Situation of Human Rights in Colombia
    1993
  • Individual Cases
  • In Spanish

  • Analysis

  • Colombian President Finds Friends and Fists.
    Stefania Bianchi, IPS, Brussels, 11Feb04
  • Call Colombia's human rights bluff.
    By Robin Kirk, The Guardian, London, UK, 07Feb04
  • A president who wants a licence to kill.
    Isabel Hilton, The Guardian, London, UK, 10Feb04
  • The Displaced Ask, Where Is the State?
    IPS, Feb04
  • Un official to highlight plight of blockaded areas in talks with President.
    UN News Service, NY, 27Jan04
  • Uribe Faces EU Questions on Human Rights.
    NY Times Online, NY, Usa, 23Jan04
  • EU criticises Colombia on rights.
    BBC, UK, 22Jan04
  • Uribe Faces EU Questions on Human Rights.
    The Guardian, UK, 22Jan04
  • EU calls on Colombia to respect rule of law.
    Reuters, Bogota, Col, 21Jan04
  • Colombia's Poisonous Export.
    By Robert D. Novak, CNS News.com, 18Aug03
  • An interview with Colombian human rights activist Padre Javier Giraldo, S.J
    by Ruth Goring, April 2003
  • Secret aid poured into Colombian drug war.
    The Guardian, Wednesday July 9, 2003
  • In Colombia, Muckrakers Have Become Scarce
    By Tina Rosenberg, NYT, 03jul03
  • Colombia: The Traffic of Terror
    The Crimes of War Project explores the Colombian conflict
  • "This War Can't Go on Any Longer
    Interview with paramilitary leader Carlos Castaño, 1997
  • MAPIRIPAN: A Shortcut To Hell
    1997
  • Social Cleansing, Human Rights, and Sexual Orientation in Colombia
    Juan Ordoñez.
  • Articles in Spanish

  • Resolutions & Declarations

  • Canadian Resolution
    Canadian Parliamentary Committee adopts Resolution urging the Colombian Government to disband Paramilitary Groups and inviting the Canadian Goverment to Examine the possibility to prosecute in Canada those responsible for Crimes Against Humanity in Colombia.
    Dec. 1999

  • Human Rights NGOs

  • Colombian Human Rights Network
  • Colombian Labor Monitor
  • Colombian Support Network
  • Cultural Center Demos
  • Peace Brigades International
  • Inter Agency Dialogue in Colombia
  • NGOs with Spanish-language Websites

  • Government & Law

  • Colombia Ombudsman Office
  • Colombian Embassy in the US
  • US Embassy in Bogota
  • Political Parties
  • Spanish Language Government Links

  • Media

  • Ancol: Official News
  • Spanish Language Media

  • Discussion Fora

  • Colombian Action Network
    news, discussion and events lists
  • Derechos' Human Rights in the Americas Mailing List
  • Derechos' Lista de Derechos Humanos en Colombia

  • Links

  • Colombia Links


  • Human Rights in Latin America

    Derechos HR Derechos Humanos en el Mundo Indice - Busca Derechos Cafe Enlaces de Derechos Humanos Contactanos