Colombia admits rights violations in battle with leftists
Colombia admits rights violations in battle with leftists
AFP July 26, 2013, 7:57 am
BOGOTA (AFP) - Colombia admitted for the first time Thursday that the government has been guilty of "serious human rights violations" during its 50-year battle with leftist rebels.
President Juan Manuel Santos made the admission in a speech aimed at defending a constitutional amendment known as the "legal framework for peace," which is considered the legal basis for ongoing peace negotiations.
The Bogota government and rebels from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia since November have been engaged in talks aimed at ending the conflict, Latin America's longest running.
Santos said the government "has been responsible, in some cases by default, in other cases by direct action of some state agents, of serious human rights violations and breeches of international humanitarian law," since the conflict began.
More:
http://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/-/world/18152797/colombia-admits-rights-violations-in-battle-with-leftists/
