By R. Renee Yaworsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTA, Colombia—The U.S. State Department has given certification to Congress that Colombia meets “statutory criteria related to human rights.”  This disburses the last funds that the U.S. pledged to give the Colombian military, an amount exceeding $30 million.

The U.S. State Department acknowledged that despite issuing the remaining funds, impunity in Colombia remains a concern.  The State Department asked Colombia’s justice system to strengthen the fight against human rights violations.

Colombia’s Prosecutor-General’s office is in need of organization and is noted for slow response times to crimes.  The State Department encouraged the Prosecutor-General’s office to effectively investigate wiretapping and surveillance frequently conducted by Colombia’s Department of Administrative Security (DAS).

Just sworn in on August 7 of this year, Colombia’s new President Juan Manuel Santos has been making strides against criminal groups operating in the country and threatening human rights activists.  The Santos administration has started illustrating a commitment to human rights, creating a labor roundtable, meeting with NGOs and attempting to improve the relationship with the judicial system.

President Santos was pleased with the certification by the State Department and called the decision “just” in a statement posted on the presidential website.  He went on to admit that there is much work to be done for the future:  “This is good news and more than anything just because it recognizes the attempt we’ve been making against a problem that no one denies.  Everyone knows that it existed and still exists, but to lesser extent.”

The State Department released a press statement explaining that Colombia took “positive steps to improve respect for human rights in the country.  Firm direction by the government that extrajudicial killings will not be tolerated has led to a rapid reversal in this disturbing trend.”  The Department also took note, however, that “there continues to be a need for improvement.”

The money will be used to help Colombia combat drug trafficking and widespread guerilla violence.  It will also go towards monitoring human rights abuses by security forces.

Since 2000, Colombia has received over $6 billion in U.S. military and other aid under what is known as Plan Colombia.  This initiative was constructed in hopes of decreasing leftist rebels, far-right militias and the notorious Colombian drug trade.

For more information, please see:

RTT News-US Certification For Colombia’s Human Rights Record-16 September 2010

Colombia Reports-Santos welcomes ‘just’ US certification on human rights-15 September 2010

AP-US OKs $30 million in military aid to Colombia-15 September 2010

By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela – Jesus Enrique Majano Rodriguez, an engineer working for the state-owned utility company Corpoelec, was arrested for attempting to “incite his followers against the figure of the president of the republic,” via the social networking site Twitter.  Majano Rodriquez allegedly posted photos of President Chavez with wounds on his face and purportedly described how the assassination could be successfully carried out.

This is not the first time that the Venezuelan Government has arrested citizens for making comments on Twitter.  In July, two individuals were arrested for starting false rumors and criticizing the Venezuelan banking system.

While assassination attempts have long been speculated against the Venezuelan President, Chavez himself generally denounces them, pointing the finger at foreign and domestic political rivals rather than at the Venezuelan citizens themselves.  President Chavez’s political foes have steadfastly denied any assassination attempt, and say the accusations are a way for the Venezuelan leader to divert attention away from his own government’s shortcomings.

No charges have been officially filed against Majano Rodriquez to this point, and he was released from jail on parole shortly after being detained.  Rodriguez is; however, obligated to appear in court every 15 days as the case moves forward.  Time will tell if the Government’s assertions are legitimate.

The alleged assassination plot comes only a few months after a 29-year old man was arrested in April for allegedly plotting a separate plan to harm President Chavez.  Public unrest continues to grow as Venezuela experiences a shortfall in basic goods, including food, and a seemingly ever-increasing crime rate.

The recent explosion of social networking websites creates a problem for a country that appears to keep a firm grasp on its media.  Social media outlets, such as Facebook and Twitter, may pose a threat to the Venezuelan Government’s ability to control the information that reaches the masses.

For more information, please see:

Wire Update – Venezuelan engineer released after being arrested for alleged twitter death threats against President Chavez – 11 September 2010

Caribbean 360 – Venezuelan Twitters President Assassination Plot – 10 September 2010

ABC News – Man Used Twitter to Try to Kill Chavez – 9 September 2010

Latin American Herald Tribune – Venezuelan Charged with Chavez Assassination on Twitter – 9 September 2010

By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile – Several Chilean lawmakers have joined the indigenous Mapuche-lead hunger strike against dictatorship-era terror laws. Tucapel Jimenez, Hugo Gutierrez, Sergio Aguilo and Manuel Monsalve, who belong to a human rights commission in the lower house of the Chilean Congress, have demanded that President Sebastian Piñera begin negotiations with the inmates.

The Chilean government has been critical of the congressmen’s actions, calling them “irresponsible and populist.”  During a recent visit to the Arica-Parinacota region of Chile, President Piñera added that he expected the lawmakers’ behavior to be “as deputies of the Republic, with responsibility” and to take measures to solve the problem instead of making it worse.

The four congressmen involved in the hunger-strike visited several Mapuche prisoners in Temuco jail. When they refused to leave, the prison guards apparently removed the legislators forcefully. 

Commenting on the removal, Congressman Aguilo said that“[w]e left a meeting we were having with the (Mapuches); we were tricked, they told us that it was to talk about a practical matter and there they told us that we would be forced to leave. They didn’t beat us, but in the scuffle my glasses were broken.”

Congressman Gutierrez said that “[t]his is the new government’s way and I think it’s a clear sign that there’s no form of dialogue here. What we experienced in one brief moment, the Mapuches have experienced historically, and I hope the government stops repressing people.”

After being removed from the facility for trying to grab onto some of the prison’s bars, the congressmen traveled to the building of the Unitary Workers’ Central and continued to vocalize the strike.

This sort of internal pressure appears to be effective to a small extent. 

Piñera recently proposed legislation that would effectively end the portion of the disputed law that allows civilians and minors to be tried by military commission.  While Piñera has taken this small step, his government has not engaged in negotiation with the Mapuche prisoners, nor does it appear that the government is willing to consider that option.

Piñera has, however, called on the Roman Catholic Church to mediate the dispute between the Mapuche and the Chilean government.

For more information, please see:

People Daily – Chilean President Criticizes Lawmakers on Strike Supporting Indigenous Mapuche – 11 September 2010

Latin American Herald Tribune – Politicians who Joined Inmates’ Hunger Strike Ejected from Chile Prison – 10 September 2010

BBC – Chilean MPs Join Hunger Protest by Indigenous Detainees – 9 September 2010

Reuters – Chilean Lawmakers Join Indigenous Hunger Strike – 9 September 2010

By R. Renee Yaworsky
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTA, Colombia—A Colombian judge has issued an international arrest warrant for William Parra, a journalist, alleging that he has links to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).  Parra and his supporters deny any such involvement and claim that the warrant is an effort to silence journalists who are critical of the Colombian government.

“As the innocent person I am, I have asked and will continue to demand that my fundamental rights be respected,” Parra said.  In a statement, he accused Colombian officials of multiple rights violations, including denial of due process.  He claimed that his attorneys were not granted sufficient access to defend him in court and that he has not been adequately informed about any evidence against him.

According to Colombian prosecutors, Parra’s name appears in some emails that were found on the laptop of a high-ranking FARC member, deputy commander Raul Reyes.

William Parra made a name for himself after joining the Venezuelan television network Telesur in 2006.  Telesur is financed by leftist President Hugo Chavez and has been critical of the Colombian government.  Parra worked for the network until 2008 when he became an independent journalist.

Parra’s attorney, Sandra Gamboa, has stated that the warrant violates international law.  Though a Colombian, Parra has been in exile in Venezuela and was granted refugee status there in March.  Gamboa said that the warrant contains irregularities and violates her client’s defense rights.

Telesur released a statement that read in part, “Any investigation that the Colombian authorities bring against William Parra does not link Telesur in any way.  Telesur rejects this new effort to criminalize its journalistic work.”  The network added that Parra “always acted with integrity and professional quality.”

Reporters Without Borders, a group that defends the freedom of the press, has questioned the motives behind the warrant, pointing out that the Colombian government has harassed Telesur employees in the past.

Parra said he plans to appeal all allegations to international bodies.  All other individuals who have been indicted for “FARC politics” as a result of their names being found on Reyes’ laptop have had their charges dropped because of lack of evidence.

For more information, please see:

Reporters Without Borders-Belated proceedings against former Telesur reporter William Parra-9 September 2010

CNN-Colombia journalist wanted for rebel ties-8 September 2010

Colombia Reports-Judge seeks arrest of journalist accused of FARC links-7 September 2010

By Patrick Vanderpool
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelans fear that a new food-card issued by President Hugo Chavez is the first step to the country rationing food.  The card, which President Chavez called the “Good Life Card,” is being implemented to “make shopping easier,” according to President Chavez, but others expect that the card will be used to control where the citizens can shop and what they can buy.

Many suspect that the food card will be similar to the one that rations food in Cuba, but will likely be more technologically advanced so that Venezuelan citizens can only shop at certain places and only buy a certain amount of food.  The Cuban equivalent emerged when goods became scarce in the country, but later became a means to control Cuban citizens ability to buy food because the Cuban food markets were all owned and operated by the Cuban Government.

President Chavez stated that the card is to “purchase what you are going to take and they keep deducting. It’s to buy what you need, not to promote communism, but to buy what just what you need.”  However, the concerns are not unwarranted as it appears the card will only work at government-run markets.

Venezuela is facing a recurring shortage of supply, and many see this card as an effort to resolve the problem without expressly calling it rationing.  This move comes months after the Chavez Government began cracking down on hoarding, which includes police raids on food stores and warehouses.

While many experts think that supply shortages could be curbed by simply finding a sustainable means to get supplies to all markets, the Venezuelan Government seems preoccupied with focusing solely on the supply and consumption in regards to the government-run markets.

Experts are accusing President Chavez of lacking accountability for his own government’s failures.  Rather than admitting that Socialism has not succeeded in Venezuela, Chavez seems content with digging the country into a bigger hole.  In the end, Venezuelan citizens pay the ultimate price because they will not have the right to buy the types of food they want, the amount of food they want, and will have limited shopping options.

For more information, please see:

New American – Venezuela “Good Life Card” comes at a Great Cost – 5 September 2010

RightPundits.com – Hugo Chavez Begins Food Rationing in Venezuela – 5 September 2010

The Miami Herald – Venezuela Introduces Cuba-like Food Card – 3 September 2010