Colombian Movement Defends UN Report Against Govt's Attacks

Human rights group Defendamos la Paz movement on Friday defended a UN report on the human rights situation in Colombia during 2019 that was recently refected by the conservative government as interference in domestic affairs.

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The movement, which includes high-profile politicians such as Humberto de La Calle, María Ángela Holguín, Juan Fernando Cristo, said that there was no interference because it did not apply for human rights.

"We reply that the defense of human rights has been above the principle of non-interference in internal affairs. International and regional bodies have affirmed this," said movement's spokespeople to El Colombiano.

"The Peace Agreement gave the UN Office functions such as supervising human rights," they added.  "The fact that the government is questioning the report has been aligning with a recurrent pattern of confrontations with the UN system, and can end up being one more assault on the Agreement."

Since the UN office began in 1997, it has contributed to prevent, observe and make human rights violations visible through documentation and advice, not only in the field but also in Bogota, he said.

Former President Ernesto Samper also lamented the "defensive and rude attitude of the government before the UN report" on Twitter. "It's not about changing the image, but the reality of human rights in the country."