At least three victims attending peace talks with rebel group FARC and organizers of the victim participation have received death threats, according to the United Nations.
The three victims were part of the first and second round of victims who traveled to the peace talks in Havana. All death threats were allegedly signed by neo-paramilitary groups.
MORE: 12 Colombia conflict victims travel to Cuba to attend FARC peace talks
Of the 24 people who have so far told their stories at the talks, three “have appeared on blacklists or received mail with death threats, signed by armed groups launched by ex-paramilitaries,” said Fabrizio Hochschild, the UN’s resident coordinator in Colombia.
Seven other victims have been the target of verbal attacks on social networks, the UN official told reporters at a press conference.
“It’s obvious, based on the tone of the statements, that these are groups that oppose the peace process. This involves individuals from civil society writing on social networks, as well as illegal armed groups,” he said.
All though no names of the threatened victims were disclosed, one of them allegedly is Yaneth Bautista who was among the first to attend the peace talks, according to website Pulzo. Bautista’s sister, a member of the guerrilla group M-19, was kidnapped and killed by paramilitaries.
The third round of victims arrived in Havana Wednesday, where they will discuss reparation of victims with the FARC and the Colombian government.
MORE: 3rd group of Colombia conflict victims travel to peace talks
The guerrilla group has released their 10 minimum proposals for reparation of victims.
MORE: The FARC’s 10 proposals on victim reparation
The government and the FARC are currently negotiating an end to the five decades of war in Colombia, a war that has killed more than 200 thousand Colombians and according to conservative estimates has left at least 6 million victims.
Preliminary agreements have been signed on rural reforms, illicit crops and political participation. The agreements will only come in to force if a final agreement is signed.
Sources
- Press statement by the United Nations
- Al menos tres representantes de víctimas en La Habana han recibido amenazas contra su vida (Pulzo)
- Colombia victims threatened after testifying: UN (Afp)
