A few updates on Colombia

A few updates on Colombia:

The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia deplored the murder of political leaders Jaime Romero and Eduardo Hernandez in Valle del Cauca. According to information obtained by the office, the killers are connected to paramilitary groups. The UN described the violent deaths as a grave threat to democracy and to the free exercise of political rights, the United Nations News Service reports.
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After a series of threats by alleged paramilitaries, Diro Cesar Gonzalez, director and owner of the weekly newspaper La Tarde in Barrancabermeja, was forced to suspend his business indefinitely and leave the city, the Foundation for the Freedom of the Press (FLIP) reports.
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According to the UNICEF annual report, Colombia and Haiti are the two countries in Latin America where children and women suffer the most. Daniel Toole, Director of the UNICEF Emergency Office, stated that the Colombian conflict has led to a serious human rights violations and a critical humanitarian situation. UNICEF will concentrate its efforts in the region on assisting national institutions to increase their response capacities, EFE reports.
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Fernando Ramirez Gonzalez, member of the trade union Sintraminercol-Fenasintrap was illegally dismissed by the national mining company Minercol LTDA. Sintraminarcol members have also been victims of threats, harassments and intimidation for their stance against the privatization of the company, according to Colombian organisation Justicia y Paz.
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The manual eradication of coca crops in the Macarena National Park has so far led to the displacement of 341 families, due to confrontations between guerrillas and the army, El Colombiano reports.

Source: Jan 30, 2006 edition of Colombia This Week, put out by ABColombia Group.