Colombia drug wars 'fuelling extra judicial assassinations' in Ecuador

[Judi Lynn]

Colombia drug wars 'fuelling extra judicial assassinations' in Ecuador

Friday 16 July 2010

A UN envoy in charge of investigating extra judicial executions has revealed that the rising number of assassinations by hired killers in Ecuador are being fuelled by the drug wars in Colombia and are in danger of creating a "vicious circle of impunity.

UN special rapporteur Philip Alston highlighted how the murder rate in the Andean country had soared in the last 20 years but said that for every 100 killings, only one perpetrator was convicted.

"Hired killers are paid as little as $20 (£13) to 'solve' a problem, but they can confidently expect to get away with murder because the criminal justice system functions so badly," he reported.

He acknowledged that Ecuadoran President Rafael Correa had attempted to address the rising violence with new human rights legislation, but Mr Alston emphasised that the UN was concerned at the "spillover of violence from the conflict in Colombia which was causing civilians to become caught between the military, rebels and criminal gangs."

http://www.morningstaronline.co.uk/index.php/news/content/view/full/92885