Colombian president leaves activists in fear

[dArKeR]

Human rights defenders, accused by President Alvaro Uribe of being allied with terrorists for criticizing his crackdown on leftist rebels, denounced his comments Tuesday, saying they have endangered their lives.

The fiery exchange came after more than 80 humanitarian organizations, including some of the nation's most respected human rights groups, released a joint report Monday entitled "The Authoritarian Curse," which condemned government abuses and attacks on civil liberties.

Mr. Uribe, in a speech during a military ceremony Monday, denied the charges and accused some of the reports' authors — whom he did not specifically name — of acting "in the service of terrorism."

http://theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20030910.wcolo0910/BNStory/International/

Anyone who disagrees is a terrorist. We all know that. It started the same in the US on 9/11. 2001.

[E_Zapata]

1. Didn't the US just reinstate money and guns to Colombia?

The govt is feeling its oats again, perhaps? Or the US "drug fighting" aid came with some conditions?

[Judi Lynn]

2. Wonder who put such nasty ideas into his head!

(snip)"When the terrorists begin to feel weakened, they immediately send their spokespeople for the human rights (groups)," Mr. Uribe said.

He challenged them to "take off their masks ... and drop this cowardice of hiding their ideas behind human rights."

Alirio Uribe, a lawyer who runs a support network for victims of military atrocities and families of murdered journalists and union leaders, said the president's comments could be seen by outlawed right-wing militias and others battling the guerrillas as a green light to attack human-rights workers. (snip)

(snip) Amnesty International, which lent its support to the report and attended its launch, warned in a statement Tuesday that "intolerance toward criticism leads to an authoritarian society." (snip)


May 1, 2003, Uribe in the White House, with the pResident
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/spanish/latin_america/newsid_2990000/2990715.stm