"The Guerrillas are the Police"

📖 The Scoop

"In the eastern Colombian province of Arauca and the neighboring Venezuelan state of Apure, non-state armed groups use violence to control peoples’ daily lives. They impose their own rules and subject those who do not obey to punishments ranging from fines to forced labor to killings. Residents live in fear. [This report] documents abuses by the National Liberation Army, the Patriotic Forces of National Liberation, and a group that emerged from the demobilized Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia. Abuses include murder, forced labor, child recruitment, and rape and are often committed as part of the groups’ strategy to control the social, political, and economic life of Arauca and Apure. The report documents credible allegations that Venezuelan security forces and local authorities have at times colluded with armed groups. Armed groups appear to feel much freer to operate in Venezuela, where they maintain camps and have taken victims kidnapped in Arauca. Colombian authorities have tried to wrest power from armed groups, but impunity for serious abuses remains the norm and protection for residents is limited. The Colombian government should increase protection for people at risk, further support accountability, and implement local development plans, which could help prevent human rights abuses. Increased international pressure on Venezuelan authorities remains key to preventing abuses and ensuring accountability for abuses committed in Venezuela."--Back cover.

Genre: Education / General (fancy, right?)