British MPs express disgust at invitation given to ex-Colombian President
News from Colombia | on: Tuesday, 29 October 2013
British MPs today wrote a letter to the University of London and Canning House to express their outrage at an invitation given to the ex-Colombian President Álvaro Uribe to speak in London about peace in Colombia. Uribe was President of Colombia between 2002 and 2010 and his reign was characterised by an extreme increase in human rights violations, an expansion of paramilitary involvement in national and regional politics, and increased attacks against trade unionists and social activists. He repeatedly accused of human rights defenders of being terrorists in disguise and backed a military strategy which saw entire rural communities branded terrorist sympathisers and legitimate targets. Demobilised paramilitaries, responsible for the most severe period of violence in the Colombian conflict, have admitted that they actively supported his presidential campaign.
Uribe has been invited to speak about “peace” at an event organised by the Univeristy of London and Canning House in spite of the fact that Uribe has been the most vocal critic and opponent of the peace process currently taking place in Colombia.