You may download and read it. You may not alter this information, repost or sell it without permission. If you use this document, you are encouraged to make a donation to Amnesty International to support future research. The escalating conflict has been characterized by blatant disregard for human rights and international humanitarian law by all parties to the conflict. Those responsible are seldom brought to justice.
Impunity is the cornerstone of Colombia's long-running human rights crisis.
Impunity encourages those responsible for human rights violations to continue pursuing a counter-insurgency strategy characterized by systematic human rights violations. The failure of the Colombian Government to effectively confront the mechanisms of impunity, to take effective measures to dismantle paramilitary groups and to guarantee the safety of human rights defenders have permitted the continued deterioration of the human rights situation. The cases included in this document illustrate the continuing pattern of human rights violations in Colombia and have been selected to focus campaigning on those issues on which Amnesty International considers that the Colombian Government has still to take effective measures. Included are cases which, even after a prolonged lapse of time and despite the existence, in many of these, of compelling evidence, have not led to all those responsible being brought to justice. A fact which encourages further human rights violations.