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News > Colombia

Colombia: Piedad Cordoba Decries Persecution Towards Opposition

  • As part of the clarification of the truth and the listening process, the Colombian Truth Commission receives testimonies and contributions for the fulfillment of its mandate of a rigorous process of justice.

    As part of the clarification of the truth and the listening process, the Colombian Truth Commission receives testimonies and contributions for the fulfillment of its mandate of a rigorous process of justice. | Photo: Twitter/@ComisionVerdadC

Published 2 December 2021
Opinion

The social activist presented the grave human rights violations against Colombia's diverse array of political opponents.

Former Colombian Senator Piedad Cordoba presented this Thursday before the transitional justice system her second report on the political persecution of Colombian opposition leaders by the current governments in the country.

"I claim myself as a participant of the historical political opposition to the regime. First in the struggle from the popular bases of the Liberal Party for the dismantling of the National Front and the democratic opening that was embodied in the constituent process of 1991, but that was frustrated early on," explained in the report the former candidate to the Colombian Presidency.

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In this sense, the social activist also proposed to the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition guarantee rights for opponents and human rights activists.

Córdoba said that political opposition in her country is a high-risk activity, since sectors of the State persecute, stigmatize, threaten, attack and assassinate leaders who oppose the government.

She also stated that the truth commission achieves a fundamental mission for reparation and promotes the construction of a healthy political system; further, she requested the opening of the intelligence archives to clarify the crimes committed by the State.

Córdoba commented that persecution has been against her and against her family and other social leaders and organizations, parties that have been exterminated and no longer exist.

"We are live at the Truth Commission. @ComisionVerdadC. Piedad Córdoba makes contributions to clarifying the truth about political persecution in Colombia. Follow the broadcast on Facebook: https://facebook.com/PiedadCordobaRuiz/videos/907681746531118/"

The Colombian leader similarly showed the practices and facts that constitute serious human rights violations and grave breaches of International Humanitarian Law, particularly those that have clear patterns or are of a massive character throughout the armed conflict.

In turn, she pointed out the collective responsibilities of the State, the Government, public authorities, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia-People's Army (FARC-EP), paramilitary groups and other armed actors.

The political system has promoted a structure against the political opposition for years, as evidenced by one of the points in her report. "In Colombia, politics has been circumscribed to electoral and institutional formality, ignoring other forms of citizen participation," reads the text.

The Commission was established after the 2016 Peace Agreement, where it was understood that the cessation of the conflict must be built on the reparation of victims as part of a Comprehensive System of Truth, Justice, Reparation and Non-Repetition.

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