The killing of a state governor points up the cruel tactics of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas, who target and often kill civilians in Colombia's internal armed conflict.

The Colombian government should act swiftly to protect witnesses in criminal cases against members of groups that are successors to demobilized paramilitaries in the city of Medellín.

The governments of Venezuela and Colombia should thoroughly and promptly investigate the recent abductions and killings of ten men by an unidentified armed group on the Venezuelan side of the border between the two countries. A separate attack on a longtime Colombian human rights defender in the state of Meta should be fully investigated.

The Colombian government should ensure a prompt, independent, and thorough investigation of the killings of 12 members of the Awá indigenous community, and take immediate measures to protect the community.

By ending the double standard on human rights and democracy that marked US policy toward Colombia under President Bush, Obama could go a long way toward restoring US credibility in Latin America.

President Barack Obama should raise human rights concerns on June 29, 2009, during his first official meeting with President Álvaro Uribe of Colombia.

The United Nations Security Council should impose sanctions on governments and armed groups for using child soldiers, sexual violence against children, and attacks on schools, and should promote effective prosecution of the commanders responsible.

A group of eight labor and human rights organizations called on the Colombian government today to respect the work of trade unionists and human rights defenders in Colombia and to retract statements that put these workers at risk.