By Margaret Janelle R. Hutchinson
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

 BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Serving members of Colombia’s police and military forces may gain the right to vote in elections if the constitutional amendment proposed by Senate Vice President Edgar Espindola Niño is adopted.

Citizens serving in the public armed forces have been denied the vote for the past 50 years, a legacy of President Alberto Lleras Camargo (1945-1946 / 1958-1962) who famously cast Colombia´s armed forces as “guarantors of democracy.” Neutrality was expected of these guardians.

Espindola and others who support the proposal argue that Colombia has changed dramatically over the past five decades and that the members of the military and police should be able to cast their ballots like every other Colombian citizen.  Though there would remain certain restraints on their political activity.

The proposal states: “Los miembros de la Fuerza Pública podrán ejercer la función del sufragio mientras permanezcan en servicio activo, pero no podrán intervenir en actividades o debates de partidos o movimientos politicos.”

This roughly translates to: Members of the public armed forces may engage in the act of voting while on active duty, but may not take part in activities or discussions of political parties or political movements.

Those who oppose the initiative, say that Colombia´s democracy is not ready for this change; that the possible abuses of power are too great.  They fear that allowing the near 460,000 active forces the vote could distort the electoral process.

They claim that the hierarchical nature, size, and “ideological cohesion” of the military would render it a political force unto itself, greater than any other political party or movement.  Specifically, there is a fear that the chain of command would dictate to subordinates how to cast their votes.

The language of the proposal makes clear that, legally, officers would not be able to participate in campaigning, but some level of trust would need to be placed in service members’ capacity to act independently inside the voting booth.

Should the current peace process between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) culminate in a legitimate peace agreement, senior military officials are concerned about becoming targets of FARC political action in a post-conflict state.

The demobilized FARC forces would be reintegrated into Colombian society, and, as citizens, would trade the power of the gun for the power of the vote.

Both the FARC and the military have committed atrocities during the five-decades long conflict. The military fears that even if amnesties are granted, their amnesties may end up revoked once the former FARC rise to political power.

Retired Colonel Hugo Bahamon recently stated, “Look at what has happened in Argentina and Chile, where, 20 years on, the guerrillas who threatened the state are in power, amnesties have been overturned and now [former soldiers] of 70 and 80 years of age are being imprisoned.”

To Colonel Bahamon and the rest of the military and police forces, gaining the vote would provide an additional security guarantee to avoid the path of their South American counterparts.

For further information, please see:

Colombia Reports – Colombia’[s] Police and Military to get the vote? – 4 November 2012

NACLA – The Military’s Human Rights Record and the Peace Process in Colombia – 3 November 2012

BBC – Colombia’s military faces challenges over peace talks – 24 October 2012

El Espectador – Fuerzas Militares quedarían facultadas para votar – 24 October 2012

By Brendan Bergh
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America 

BOGOTÁ, Colombia – Peace talks between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia (FARC) continue in Oslo, Norway.

Since their inception in 1964 Latin Americas oldest revolutionary group has been striking terror throughout Colombia. The FARC rebels have been conducting military ambushes and kidnapping civilians and military personnel for years with the intent of disappearing them or ransoming them. Their reign of terror has been weakened in recent years, thanks to a continued increased military budget and U.S. backed security campaign. A temporary cease fire has been signed as leaders from FARC and the Colombia meet in Oslo to discuss the terms for the disbanding of the military group.

However those peace talks may be in jeopardy. On Halloween night in Pradera, over 5,000 Colombian children were out and about celebrating when the calm serene night was shattered by violence. A suitcase bomb exploded killing two suspected bombers and injuring another 37, seven of them children. Col. Nelson Ramirez the regional police chief believes the police station was the intended target. Pradera has always been a target for FARC who continually demand the area be ceded to them.

This is just the latest in a series of clashes that many believe can be attributed to FARC. Earlier in the month five soldiers were wounded in an apparent rebel ambush, while another two were killed when they activated a FARC installed landmine.

There have been quite a few attempts at peace since the 1980s. The latest in 2002 was almost successful, as then-President Andres Pastrana was about to grant the rebels a large portion of land. However in all too familiar fashion the peace talks broke down when the rebels launched a timely series of attacks in a bid to strengthen their position.  However the FARC claim they have no parallel agenda during their peace talks. That they hope that “The dialogue unfolds effectively, expeditiously, and in the shortest possible time.”

As the peace talks continue many items are still on the table. Beyond mere the demilitarization of FARC and the end to the kidnappings FARC is coming to the table with proposals and projects in order to implement radical socioeconomic reforms. However the issue of reintegration is still a large issue that needs to be discussed. If the peace talks are successful the question remains what will happen to rebel militants and the increased Colombian Army that was raised to combat FARC.

Despite these issues both sides have indicated a commitment to the “Construction of a stable and lasting peace.”

For further information, please see:

El Tiempo – Two Soldiers Killed When He Stepped On A Mine Field Installed By FARC – 3 November 2012

RCN Radio – FARC Say They Have No Parallel Agenda In Peace Process – 3 November 2012

El Pais – “There Is A Marriage Between The FARC And VAlle And Cauca BACRIM”: General Navas – 2 November, 2012

Fox News Latino – Halloween Bombing Kills 2, Injuries 36 In Colombia – 2 November 2012

CNN – Amid Peace Talks, Colombian Soldiers Killed  In Suspected Rebel Attack – 20 October, 2012

CNN – Colombia, FARC Rebels Begin Formal Peace Talks In Norway – 18 October, 2012

By Margaret Janelle R. Hutchinson
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASÍLIA, Brazil – According to the Governor of São Paulo State and Brazilian news sources, the alarming increase in violence in Brazil’s largest city over the past few months is due to direct orders from organized crime bosses to execute military police and members of rival criminal organizations.

The escalation of violence in the greater São Paulo area is unquestionably on the rise judging by the number of murders that occur every night in and around the city, the total number of homicides in the past month alone reaching over 160, according to today’s report.

But the violence is not limited to the metropolitan region.  Since September there have been roughly 600 murders throughout the state, approximately 100 of which were law enforcement officers.

The São Paulo state government, led by former opposition presidential candidate Geraldo Alckmin initially refused federal assistance to combat the increasing violence in his state.  Then barbs were exchanged between the São Paulo Secretary for Public Security and the Federal Minister of Justice this week.

State Security Secretary Antonio Ferreira Pinto publicly denied that he had been offered federal aid, which was resolutely refuted by the Ministry in a press release.

On Thursday, President Dilma Rousseff personally telephoned Governor Alckmin and offered to send Federal Police intelligence agents, and other assistance, to work with the civil and military police in São Paulo.

At a news conference the yesterday morning, Alckmin said he was open to discussing a solution in partnership with the federal government.

The President and Governor have agreed to commence meetings next week, members of the Secretary for Public Security, Secretary of Prison Administration and the Ministry of Justice, will begin to examine possible solutions to the security crisis.

Direct contact between the two leaders coincides with São Paulo’s “Operation Saturation” wherein state military police have conducted operations in the capital’s slums, called favelas.

Militarized police conducted an operation in the favela Paraisópolis, yesterday, in which 22 people were arrested and 15 weapons, 324 rounds of ammunition of various calibers, 2.4 kilograms of cocaine, 254 kilograms of marijuana and 50 units of synthetic drugs were seized.

Paraisópolis is the only favela still under the control of the military police.

The escalation of violence in the richest region of the country is the worst since May 2006, when the organized crime group Primer Comando de la Capital (roughly translated to First Capital Command) carried out a series of attacks on police and civilian targets, bus fires, executions, and riots in some 50 prisons across the country.

The federal government intervened back in 2006 to help stop the violence.

As of yesterday there had been 83 murders committed in an 11 day period in Brazil’s largest city and financial capital.  Between that report and today another 19 people were shot and 10 died.

For further information, please see:

Correio do Brasil – Dilma oferece Exército para conter violência; Alckmin recusa – 3 November 2012

Folha de S.Paulo – Dez pessoas são mortas e um PM baleado em São Paulo – 3 November 2012

Jornal Hoje – Violência na região metropolitan de São Paulo provoca mais dez mortes – 3 November 2012

mdz – Brasil: violencia en Sao Paulo deja más de 160 muertes en un mes – 3 November 2012

Fox News – Violence continues in Brazil’s largest city – 2 November 2012

 

 

 

By Margaret Janelle R. Hutchinson
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

LA PAZ, Bolivia – Four masked men stormed a small, independent radio station, doused the equipment and host in gasoline, and set the station and the people in it ablaze this past Monday, October 29, 2012.  The attack occurred while radio journalist Fernando Vidal was on the air; listeners heard gunshots and Vidal’s cries for help until the feed quit due to the fire.

Vidal, 70, is the owner and host of Radio Popular, a small FM station in the southern city of Yacuiba.  The city, population 120,000, is located close to the Argentine border along a cocaine smuggling route and where trade in contraband is rampant.  Vidal was interviewing two women about alleged corruption among customs police when the attack occurred.

Initially, this led some to posit that smugglers, incited by Vidal’s commentary, staged the attack.  Esteban Farfan, also a host at Radio Popular and Vidal’s son-in-law, thinks the attack was politically motivated.  Vidal, a former mayor of Yacuiba, uses his daily radio program as a platform to denounce corruption at every level of government.

“My father-in-law knows the identity of the people who ordered this act,” said Farfan. “There are political interests that want to silence the radio station. We will name names at the appropriate time.”

Police currently have four suspects in custody.  According to Interior Minister Carlos Romero, one of the suspects was a mechanic, another a taxi driver, and none of the men had ever been in serious trouble with the law.

“There is surely someone else behind this and that’s what we’re investigating,” Romero added.

Farfan, however, remains skeptical.  He sees the arrests of the attackers as the easy part of solving this case.  He wants the mastermind behind the attack revealed and brought to justice.

“Vidal is an outspoken and respected journalist who made enemies with his opinions,” Farfan said.

A leftist, Vidal was once close to President Evo Morales, but the journalist broke off his support over what he described as the president’s turn to authoritarianism.

“He is a relentless critic of corruption,” Farfan said. “He calls out politicians who allegedly grow their personal bank accounts with state funds and routinely calls for investigations into corruption.”

Vidal is currently in serious but stable condition with second-degree burns to his face and arms.  A station technician, Karen Arce, also suffered less serious burns in the attack.  Everyone else was able to avoid the flames by jumping out windows.

The radio station borrowed equipment and was back on the air less than 24 hours after the attack.

Multiple international organizations condemned the attack.  It was a “vicious and brazen” attack, the spokesman for the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights said.

A heavily-bandaged Vidal told reporters: “I deeply thank the solidarity of all my friends, colleagues, co-workers and journalists and ask them to keep up the work of bringing forth the evidence and revealing the truth.”

For further information, please see:

Digital Spy – Bolivian radio presenter set on fire while on air – 2 November 2012

The Guardian – Bolivian radio owner set on fire – 2 November 2012

CNN – Bolivian journalist’s family wants to know who was behind attack – 1 November 2012

ABC – Bolivia Radio Host Attacked on Air – 30 October 2012

 

By Brendan Oliver Bergh
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SUCRE, Bolivia – The Bolivian government may be intending to not only regulate Social Media but has levied vague threats against critics of President Evo Morales’ regime. Last week Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera claimed to have been stalking people online and “Writing down the first and last names of the people who insult him [President Morales] on Facebook and Twitter.”

Threats aside lawmakers from the Socialism Party hope to push a proposed law regulating social media through the country’s congress and impose sanctions upon those who insult the President.

Backers of the proposed bill claim that constructive criticism is fine, but claim they are seeing something much more sinister. That people become heated and get personal beyond the realms of respect, and that hatred is what the new law will regulate on social media.  Congressmen Franklin Garvizu believes that this ‘criticism’ they are seeing online is “A case of systematically using communications mechanisms to plant hatred against the government, to harm the image of our president.” The threat is not necessarily imagined. The Arab Spring that began in late 2010 that toppled leaders in the Middle East was pushed through social media services like Twitter. They used social media to coordinate and spread information.

Opposition to Bolivia believes this to be an authoritarian aim to censor the people and social networks. The fact that people believe that the government is monitoring information on digital websites and networks has possibly exasperated the situation as people have taken to those same social networking sites to express their criticism. While many of these insults are lowered to debasing the President through racial slurs, the belief that regulating the speech of critics could be used to black out any criticism of the government. In many parts of the world, the thought of regulating free speech on social media would be seen as a breach of human rights.

There are currently 10 million Bolivian residents, 8.7 of which have cell phones with the ability to view Facebook, Twitter and YouTube, with approximately 1.7 million Facebook users. Critics of the Socialism Parties legislative act believe that the government should use this as a way to interact and promote the government rather than censor it. Eduardo Rojas, president of Bolivia’s Redes Foundation expiated, “You can defend, promote and spread human rights, and on the other hand complaints.”  And he continued “It is a device that can be used to deepen democracy,” rather than destroy it.

For further information, please see:

CNN – Bolivia Weighs Regulating Social Media – 26 October 2012

Everything PR – Bolivia Proposes Law Regulating Social Media – 26 October 2012

Texcoco Mass Media – Bolivia Warns Sanctions On Insults To Evo – 24 October 2012

Universo – Bolivian Government Worried About Insulting Evo Morales On Facebook – 24 October 2012