Pubdate: Sun, 18 Jul 1999
Source: Washington Post (DC)
Copyright: 1999 The Washington Post Company
Address: 1150 15th Street Northwest, Washington, DC 20071
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Author: Jose Miguel Vivanco, Human Rights Watch
Related: http://www.mapinc.org/drugnews/v99.n705.a04.html

HUMAN RIGHTS IN COLOMBIA

If the State Department and the Pentagon believe that Colombia's military is
purging its ranks of human rights violators, they are overly optimistic
["Colombia's U.S. Connection Not Winning Drug War," front page, July 6]. The
process has barely begun.

Only after sustained international pressure did President Andres Pastrana on
April 9 cashier Gens. Rito Alejo del Rio and Fernando Millan, each facing
prosecution for alleged support for paramilitary atrocities. This
long-awaited action has yet to lead to a wider purge of the armed forces.

At the same time, top brass repeatedly show their contempt for
accountability by insisting on military rather than civilian courts when
human rights violators face prosecution. Military courts in Colombia
regularly turn a blind eye to human rights violations perpetrated by those
in uniform. Moreover, when the U.S. government for the first time denied a
visa to a high-ranking Colombian officer, Gen. Ivan Ramirez, because of his
alleged involvement in human rights abuses, Colombia thumbed its nose at
Washington's action by sending him to Santiago, Chile, as military attache.

Unfortunately, Colombia's armed forces still are peopled by officers who
either have committed human rights violations or have supported or
acquiesced in paramilitary atrocities.

JOSE MIGUEL VIVANCO

Executive Director, Americas Division

Human Rights Watch

Washington

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