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Colombia Colombia: 15 Hostages Rescued by Security Forces Human Rights Watch today welcomed reports that 15 hostages that had been held for several years by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have been rescued. Human Rights Watch called on the FARC to immediately and unconditionally release hundreds of others still being held. July 2, 2008 Press Release Also available in 
Printer friendly version Colombia: McCain’s Visit Should Focus on Democracy and Rights Letter Urges McCain to Ignore Official Spin and Support Threatened Democratic Institutions During his upcoming visit to Colombia, Senator John McCain should not be blinded by the government’s spin that human rights and democracy are on the right track, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to McCain made public today. According to press reports, McCain will visit Colombia on July 1. June 30, 2008 Press Release Also available in
Printer friendly version OAS Adopts Resolution to Protect Sexual Rights States Condemn Violence Based on Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity The General Assembly of the Organization of American States (OAS) has unanimously adopted a resolution condemning human rights violations based on sexual orientation and gender identity, taking a crucial step to end the silence around violence against lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people in the Americas, Human Rights Watch said today. Human Rights Watch called on OAS member governments to ensure that the resolution is implemented in their countries, and to continue their support for sexual rights internationally. June 6, 2008 Press Release Also available in
Printer friendly version Venezuela: Clarify Relationship With Colombian Guerrillas Recovered Emails Suggest Chávez Support for FARC The Venezuelan government should provide a full accounting of its relationship with Colombian guerrillas responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said today. June 3, 2008 Press Release Also available in
Printer friendly version Testimony of Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno before the Canadian Parliament I am honored to appear before you today. Thank you for your invitation to address the situation of violence against trade unionists in Colombia and the Canada-Colombia Free Trade Agreement that is now under negotiation. I would like to request that my written remarks be incorporated in the record. June 2, 2008 Testimony Printer friendly version Letter to the US Senate I am writing you regarding the paramilitary leaders who the Colombian government extradited last week to the United States. That these criminal bosses will finally face real justice is a positive development. If managed correctly, it could also represent an important step towards dismantling the paramilitary groups responsible for much of the violence against trade unionists in Colombia. While other steps are still needed to address the high level of anti-union violence and break these groups’ power in Colombia, the extradition validates Congress’s decision to delay ratification of the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement until the country shows concrete, substantial and sustained results in addressing these problems. May 20, 2008 Letter Also available in
Printer friendly version Letter to the US House of Representatives I am writing you regarding the paramilitary leaders who the Colombian government extradited last week to the United States. That these criminal bosses will finally face real justice is a positive development. If managed correctly, it could also represent an important step towards dismantling the paramilitary groups responsible for much of the violence against trade unionists in Colombia. While other steps are still needed to address the high level of anti-union violence and break these groups’ power in Colombia, the extradition validates Congress’s decision to delay ratification of the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement until the country shows concrete, substantial and sustained results in addressing these problems. May 20, 2008 Letter Also available in
Printer friendly version Letter to Attorney General Mukasey I am writing you regarding the Colombian paramilitary leaders who were extradited this week to the United States from Colombia. These criminal bosses, who face charges in the United States for illegal drug trafficking, are responsible for some of the most horrific atrocities and human rights abuses in Colombia’s recent history. May 16, 2008 Letter Printer friendly version Colombia: Government Mischaracterizes HRW’s Position on Paramilitary Extradition The Colombian government has mischaracterized Human Rights Watch’s position on the extradition of paramilitary leaders, Human Rights Watch said today. May 14, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version Colombia: Paramilitary Leaders to Face Prosecution in US Timing of Extradition Jeopardizes Investigation Into Death Squads The extradition of Colombia’s top paramilitary leaders to the United States increases the odds they will serve substantial prison sentences for some of their crimes, yet the extradition could undermine local efforts to investigate human rights atrocities and paramilitary infiltration of the political system, Human Rights Watch said today. May 13, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version Colombia's Past and Present Letter to the Editor Published in The Economist SIR – The decision by the United States Congress to delay consideration of the free-trade agreement (FTA) with Colombia is not, as you suggest, because the Democrats have something “against Colombia”. Last year Congress approved hundreds of millions of dollars in aid for Colombia, and such assistance will probably continue. The debate over the FTA revolves around a separate question: whether free trade should trump human-rights concerns, or whether it should be premised on respect for human rights, especially the rights of workers producing the goods to be traded. May 8, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Colombia Trade Accord Published in The New York Times It is not yet time for Congress to ratify the United States-Colombia Free Trade Agreement. April 24, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Costa Rica: Turn Mario Uribe Over to Colombia President’s Cousin Allegedly Tied to Death Squads The Costa Rican government should turn former Colombian Senator Mario Uribe over to Colombia for prosecution for his alleged involvement with paramilitary death squads, Human Rights Watch said today. Uribe is a cousin of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe and has been one of the president’s closest political allies for many years. April 22, 2008 Press Release Also available in
Printer friendly version Colombia: Court Extends Benefits to Same-Sex Couples Same-Sex Partnerships Entitled to Health and Pension Benefits The ruling by Colombia’s Constitutional Court on April 17 to extend pension benefits to same-sex partners sets an example for other countries in achieving equality for all, Human Rights Watch said today. April 18, 2008 Press Release Also available in
Printer friendly version Free trade and human rights Letter to the Editor Published in The Globe and Mail Jeffrey Simpson blames protectionism for opposition to U.S. and Canadian free trade agreements (FTAs) with Colombia. This ignores the real reason that groups concerned with workers' rights oppose the Colombian FTAs at this time: widespread anti-union violence, impunity, and the influence of paramilitary death squads. April 17, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Coercion and Intimidation of Child Soldiers to Participate in Violence Child soldiers are often compelled by their commanders to engage in combat operations, participate in human rights abuses against civilians, and carry out punishments against fellow soldiers under threat of severe punishment or execution. In this backgrounder, Human Rights Watch describes methods of coercion and intimidation used against child soldiers serving in armed conflicts in Angola, Burma, Colombia, Liberia, Nepal, Sierra Leone, and Uganda. April 16, 2008 Background Briefing Workers’ Rights—a Good Reason to Delay the Colombia Trade Deal Published in The Hill's Congress Blog Congress is right to delay consideration of the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA). What’s at stake here is a fundamental principle: that free trade should be premised on respect for human rights, especially the rights of the workers producing the goods to be traded. April 16, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version Advocacy group misrepresented By José Miguel Vivanco, Americas director Published in The Boston Globe RE "THE promise of a Colombia trade pact" (Op-ed, April 11): Edward Schumacher-Matos misrepresents the work of Human Rights Watch on killings of trade unionists in Colombia when he says we "imply" that all such murders are because of labor organizing. April 15, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version US: Delay Colombia Trade Vote The US Congress should vote in favor of the proposal by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi to delay consideration of the US-Colombia Free Trade Agreement (FTA), Human Rights Watch said today. April 10, 2008 Press Release Printer friendly version Don't Dismiss the Killings in Colombia Letter to the Editor of The Washington Post By Tom Malinowski, Washington advocacy director Published in The Washington Post If death squads with ties to the U.S. government were targeting Post reporters for assassination, I doubt that The Post would dismiss the problem by arguing that the murder rate for journalists was less than the rate for the District as a whole. Yet that is exactly what The Post did in dismissing the killings of trade union activists by paramilitaries in Colombia on the basis that trade unionists are still less likely to be killed than the average citizen ["The Sin of Speaking Truth," editorial, April 8]. Congress is right to delay approval of a free-trade agreement with Colombia until Mr. Uribe takes on the violent right as he did the violent left. April 10, 2008 Commentary Printer friendly version |
 
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