Colombia - Elections - 2010
Colombia is a constitutional, multiparty democracy with a population of approximately 45 million. On June 20, Unity Party presidential candidate Juan Manuel Santos was elected in elections that were considered generally free and fair. On August 7, President Santos assumed office from President Alvaro Uribe. The 46-year internal armed conflict continued between the government and terrorist organizations, particularly the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and the National Liberation Army (ELN). Security forces reported to civilian authorities. There were instances in which elements of the security forces acted independently of civilian control.
The following societal problems and governmental human rights abuses were reported during the year: unlawful and extrajudicial killings; insubordinate military collaboration with new illegal armed groups and paramilitary members who refused to demobilize; forced disappearances; torture and mistreatment of detainees; overcrowded and insecure prisons; arbitrary detentions; impunity and an inefficient judiciary subject to intimidation; illegal surveillance of civilian groups, political opponents, and government agencies; occasional harassment and intimidation of journalists; unhygienic conditions at settlements for displaced persons, with limited access to health care, education, or employment; corruption; harassment of human rights groups and activists, including unfounded prosecutions; violence against women, including rape; violence against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) persons based on sexual orientation; child abuse and child prostitution; trafficking in women and children for the purpose of sexual exploitation; some societal discrimination against women, indigenous persons, and Afro-Colombians; and illegal child labor.
The FARC and ELN committed the following human rights abuses: political killings; killings of members of the public security forces and local officials; widespread use of landmines; kidnappings and forced disappearances; massive forced displacements; subornation and intimidation of judges, prosecutors, and witnesses; infringement on citizens' privacy rights; restrictions on freedom of movement; widespread recruitment and use of child soldiers; attacks against human rights activists; violence against women, including rape and forced abortions; and harassment, intimidation, and killings of teachers and trade unionists.
New illegal armed groups, which included some former paramilitary members, also committed numerous human rights abuses. The last United Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) bloc demobilized in 2006, but AUC members who refused to demobilize, AUC members who demobilized but later abandoned the peace process, and other new illegal armed groups remained targets of arrest and criminal prosecution. These new groups lacked the political agenda, organization, reach, and military capacity of the former AUC and focused primarily on narcotics trafficking and extortion. The AUC demobilization led to a reduction in killings and other human rights abuses, but paramilitary members who refused to demobilize and new illegal armed groups continued to commit numerous unlawful acts and related abuses, including: political killings and kidnappings; physical violence; forced displacement; subornation and intimidation of judges, prosecutors, and witnesses; infringement on citizens' privacy rights; restrictions on freedom of movement; recruitment and use of child soldiers; violence against women, including rape; and harassment, intimidation, and killings of human rights workers, journalists, teachers, and trade unionists.
The government made demonstrable advances in improving the human rights environment. The Santos administration strengthened the government’s relationship with the human rights community by publicly expressing support for human rights defenders and engaging them in dialogue. In addition, the Santos administration implemented new policies to accelerate the return of land to displaced families and advanced a Land and Victims Law to provide for land restitution and victims’ reparations. Extrajudicial executions continued to decline, and several senior military officers were convicted of human rights abuses.
In June Unity Party candidate Juan Manuel Santos won a four-year term as president in elections considered generally free and fair. The OAS electoral observation mission stated that the "electoral process was conducted successfully, and this should be understood as an achievement for the Colombian government and people." The OAS mission also noted that the 2010 elections experienced the lowest levels of violence in 30 years.
Political parties could operate without restrictions or outside interference. The Liberal and Conservative parties previously dominated politics. The election of President Santos and the second-place showing of Antanas Mockus of the newly established Green Party reflected a continued widening of the political arena. More than a dozen political parties from across the political spectrum were represented in Congress.
New illegal armed groups, which included some former paramilitary members, and the FARC threatened and killed government officials. According to the Presidential Program for Human Rights, five municipal council members were killed through August, the same number as were killed in the same period in 2009. Some local officials resigned because of threats from the FARC. A program by the Ministry of Interior and Justice provided protection to 353 mayors, 120 members of Congress, and 3,705 council members at year's end.
The law requires that women be placed in at least 30 percent of appointed government posts and that the government report to Congress each year the percentage of women in high-level government positions. There were 16 women in the 102-member Senate and 31 in the 166-member House of Representatives. There were four women in the 13-member cabinet and four on the 23-member Supreme Court. In December the Supreme Court elected the country's first ever woman Prosecutor General.
Two indigenous senators and two indigenous members of the House of Representatives occupied seats reserved for indigenous persons. There were no indigenous cabinet members and no indigenous persons on any of the nation's high courts.
Eleven Afro-Colombians served in Congress. There were eight self-identified Afro-Colombian members of the House of Representatives; six were elected and two occupied seats reserved for Afro-Colombians. The representative from San Andres, which has a large Afro-Colombian population, was not Afro-Colombian but was a member of the Afro-Colombian caucus. Although there were no seats reserved for Afro-Colombians in the Senate, there were three Afro-Colombian Senators. There were two Afro-Colombians serving as deputy magistrates on the Constitutional Court. There were no Afro-Colombian cabinet ministers.
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