By Delisa Morris

Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela — Ambassadors from both Spain and Venezuela have been summoned due to the remarks made by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro concerning Spain’s take on the opposition crackdown.

During protests that occurred almost a year ago, President Maduro jailed several opposition leaders and has largely ignored numerous international outcry’s for their freedom.

Maduro made less than favorable comments toward Spain on Tuesday after the Spanish Parliament passed a motion calling for the release of opposition leaders jailed in the South American country.  Venezuela is a former colony of Spain.

President Maduro condemned the measure as “an act of aggression by corrupt Spanish elites” and called Spain’s Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy “a racist”.

He also accused the Spanish parliament of interfering in Venezuela’s affairs and recommended it “look after its mother”.

“In Spain, they are all racists,” he added, warning, “I am ready for the battle against Madrid.” He also threatened to go “on a tour of Spain and announce my candidacy for president,” even though Spain is run under a parliamentary system where non-members of the legislature cannot campaign for the top spot

The Spanish foreign ministry summoned Venezuelan Ambassador Mario Isea to tell him that Maduro’s “statements, insults and threats” were “intolerable”, it said in a statement.

Venezuela in turn summoned Spanish Ambassador Antonio Perez-Hernandez y Torra in protest, complaining of Spain’s “meddling and disrespectful statements”, said Venezuelan Foreign Minister Delcy Rodriguez.

“We again call on the Spanish government to respect Venezuela’s sovereignty,” she said.

The negative treatment of opposition leaders by the Venezuelan government is a regular source of tension between the two countries.

Some of the jailed leaders include Leopoldo López, who was arrested in February 2014 for organizing a peaceful protest against Maduro, the mayor of western regional capital, San Cristóbal, and the mayor of the national capital, Caracas, have been arrested for expressing disagreement with the socialist government. Maduro accused both of being involved in a conspiracy to overthrow him.

Venezuela recalled its ambassador to Spain for consultations in February after Rajoy met with Lilian Tintori, the wife of jailed opposition leader Leopoldo Lopez.

The following month Rajoy met with Mitzy Capriles, the wife of Caracas mayor Antonio Ledezma, who has also been jailed in what Venezuelan opposition figures said was the latest crackdown on criticism of Maduro’s left-wing government.

Spanish political figures have been increasingly vocal in condemning human rights abuses in Venezuela. Former Spanish President Felipe González has personally taken it upon himself to defend López and Caracas Mayor Antonio Ledezma in Venezuela’s courts. This prompted Maduro to immediately accuse González of spearheading a coup attempt against him.

For more information, please see:

ABC News – Spain Files Protest With Venezuela Over President’s Comments – 16 Apr. 2015

The Local – Diplomatic spat: Spain, Venezuela tensions rise – 16 Apr. 2015

BreitBart – Spain Lodges Protest with Venezuela after President Calls Nation ‘Rascists’ – 16 Apr. 2015

telesur – Respect International Law, Venezuela Tells Spanish Diplomat – 15 Apr. 2015

By Kathryn Maureen Ryan
Impunity Watch, Managing Editor

BOGOTA, Colombia – Colombia’s President, Juan Manuel Santos, has ordered the resumption of bombing raids against Fuerzas Armadas Revolucionarias de Colombia, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) rebels after an attack he blamed on the group killed Colombian 10 soldiers. The move, which broke a fragile truce between FARC and the Colombian government will likely intensify combat in the region. The Colombian government halted bombing raids targeting FARC as part of peace talks between the two parties in recognition of a unilateral ceasefire declared in December by the FARC insurgents.

According to Al Jazeera’s Alessandro Rampietti said of the FARC attack against Colombian troops that “this is the deadliest attack since they announced the unilateral indefinite ceasefire back in December. And comes just a few days since the Colombian government announced the extension of the suspension of the air raids over FARC camps.” He added that at the present movement, it is not clear what the effects of these attacks will have on ongoing peace talks between FARC and the Colombian Government. FARC negotiators in Cuba committed to the unilateral ceasefire to promote peace talks that have taken place in Cuba over the past two years. FARC negotiators claimed the insurgents would only fire their weapons if they were first attacked by the armed forces. However, it is unclear how much control FARC rebel leaders in Havana really have over the more than 7,000 fighters participating in the FARC insurgency.

Ten Colombian soldiers were reportedly killed in the rural southwestern Cauca province in the early hours of Wednesday when the FARC launched an ambush against the troops, throwing grenades and firing on them as they sheltered in a covered sports pitch, the Colombian army said. “This incident was a product of a deliberate attack by the FARC, it was not a coincidence and this implies a clear rupture of the promise of a unilateral ceasefire,” President Santos said, after meeting with his Administration’s defense team in the city of Cali. “I have ordered the armed forces to lift the suspension of bombings on FARC camps.”

FARC is the largest rebel organization in Colombia, a nation that has been a haven to illegal drug and human traffickers for several decades. The organization was founded 1964 with the stated aim of installing a Marxist regime in the South American state. In five decades of conflict more than 220,000 people are estimated to have been killed. While the FARC movement claims its motives are to establish a Marxist regime, a regime that in theory would focus on the rights of workers, the paramilitary organization has targeted trade unions, even assassinating their leaders, for several decades leading to the degradation of the Labor movement in a countries who’s labor unions were once the among the strongest in Latin America.  Colombia has experienced the highest number of assignations of trade union leaders and labor activists of any country in the world. FARC is listed as a terrorist organization by both the United States and Europe.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Colombia to Resume Bombing of FARC Targets – 16 April 16, 2015

BBC News – Colombia Lifts Bombing Truce after FARC Attack in Cauca – 16 April 2015

CNN International – Colombia Renews Bombing Raids on FARC After Rebels Kill 10 Soldiers – 15 April 2015

Reuters – Ten Colombian Soldiers Killed In Attack Blamed On FARC Rebels – 15 April 2015