Colombia sees surge in mass killings in 2020 – UN
Colombia is experiencing an upsurge in violence due, according to the Colombian government, to armed groups that finance themselves through drug trafficking.
People walk pass a banner with images depicting the military high command assigned by former president Alvaro Uribe (2002-2010) accused of “false positives”, in Bogota on September 30 , 2020. – Thousands of extrajudicial executions known as “false positives” were carried out in the biggest scandal of the Colombian military forces in their struggle of more than half a century against rebel groups. (Photo by Juan BARRETO / AFP)
Colombia has recorded at least 42 massacres since the start of 2020, the highest number since the 2016 signing of a peace agreement with the former FARC guerrillas, the United Nations said.
The UN, which is responsible for verifying application of the agreement, said Secretary General Antonio Guterres was concerned about the upsurge in mass killings in various regions of the South American country in recent months.
The UN defines a massacre as the killing of three or more people at one time.
It said 13 other incidents were being verified.
The UN peace mission in Colombia recorded 36 massacres in 2019, 29 in 2018 and 11 in 2017.
“These crimes take place mainly in areas of poverty where the state has little presence, where the illegal economy reigns and there are disputes between illegal armed groups and criminal organizations,” said the report published Thursday.
Colombia is experiencing an upsurge in violence due, according to the Colombian government, to armed groups that finance themselves through drug trafficking.
The UN also noted the “relentless violence” against former FARC combatants, with 50 of them killed since the start of the year.
In total since the signing of the agreement, 224 former guerrillas have been killed and 20 have disappeared.
The UN also noted an increase in violence against human rights activists and civil society leaders, with 48 killings this year, including nine people from ethnic minorities and five women.
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