Chris Thompson is an intern at the Northfield News. Although the persistent violence in Colombia is rarely mentioned in the mainstream news, Colombia has the worst Human Rights record in the Western Hemisphere. The first guerrilla groups formed during the 1960's in response to fighting between the two main political parties, the Liberals and the Conservatives. These paramilitary groups perpetrate much of the violence today because they have no accountability for their actions. When they commit atrocities, the government looks the other way, claiming that they have no control over them.
All sides abuse human rights.
The majority of people dying today are civilians. Mostly through terror tactics. Again, it is the civilians that lose. Neutrality doesn't exist for the civilians. Pointing guns and shouting orders, they herd villagers to the central plaza.