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WORLD NEWS Thursday 14 January 2021
Colombia struggles to keep social leaders safe

By ASTRID SUÁREZ and off from the guerrilla group
MARKO ÁLVAREZ after it demobilized follow-
Associated Press ing a 2016 peace deal with
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) Colombia’s government.
— Just taking a walk in the Officials also say that a
streets of Colombia’s capi- smaller rebel group, the
tal can feel dangerous for National Liberation Army,
Luz Nelly Santana. has been involved in at-
The Afro-Colombian com- tacking social leaders.
munity leader sometimes “We thought that our situa-
she uses a hat or a turban tion would improve with the
for disguise. She always peace deal, but it hasn’t’
wears a bulletproof vest. turned out that way” said
And she’s followed by a Clemencia Carabalí, an
bodyguard assigned by activist in the southwest-
the government. ern province of Cauca
“I get death threats on who helps mobilize victims
the phone every month,” of Colombia’s conflicts to
Santana said, “and once seek reparations. “Many
a man entered my office times I can’t even leave
and said he was going to my house, and I have to
kill me.” avoid moving around at
Santana, who runs an or- certain times and going to
ganization that helps com- Community leader Luz Nelly Santana, whose life has been threatened by illegal armed groups, some places” she said.
munity leaders fleeing vio- talks during an interview in Bogota, Colombia, Thursday, Dec. 17, 2020. Associated Press Others have taken more
lence to settle in Bogota, extreme measures. Luis Er-
is one of more than 3,700 107 a year earlier. trafficking or illegal logging flee to the capital where nesto Olave, from the west-
activists given some sort Decades of bloody civil or mining, or for trying to she has lived ever since. ern province of Choco, said
of protection from Colom- conflict involving govern- protect communities con- Colombia’s Attorney Gen- he had to leave Colombia
bia’s government. ment forces, leftist guerril- fronting armed gangs. eral’s Office says most of several times after receiv-
The country is widely seen las, right-wing paramilitaries Santana survived a 1994 the attacks in recent years ing death threats from the
as one of the world’s most linked to landowners and massacre in which active on community leaders National Liberation Army.
dangerous places to be a powerful drug trafficking guerrillas attacked a street have come from drug traf- Now 46, he’s spent half of
community leader or ad- groups have created an party organized by another ficking groups like the Gulf his life promoting human
vocate for human rights or atmosphere in which many leftist faction that was trying Clan and elements of the rights and fighting against
environmental issues. Last factions feel little hesitation to abandon arms and em- Revolutionary Armed Forc- illegal mining and corrup-
year 120 community lead- at trying to kill or intimate brace above-ground poli- es of Colombia that broke tion in his province. q
ers were murdered in Co- those who oppose them. tics. She and her daughter
lombia according to the Activists are often targeted huddled at home as 35
U.N.’s High Commissioner for denouncing or being people were being killed
for Human Rights, up from seen to interfere with drug outside, and decided to

Israelis hold torch-lit protest accusing

PM of corruption

JERUSALEM (AP) — Dozens
of Israeli protesters carrying
lit torches, megaphones
and flags gathered at
dawn Wednesday outside
Prime Minister Benjamin
Netanyahu’s official resi-
dence to highlight his cor-
ruption trial, which is set to
resume next month.
Police said at least seven
demonstrators were arrest-
ed for disorderly conduct.
The demonstration was or- An Israeli anti-government protester holds a banner as he is
ganized by Crime Minister, enveloped in the smoke from a bonfire outside of the official
one of several groups that residence of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on the day
his corruption trial was originally scheduled before it was
have sprung up in recent postponed, in Jerusalem, Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2021. In Hebrew,
months calling for Netan- the sign reads: “Coward! Go to trial!”
yahu to resign over the trial Associated Press
and his government’s han- jor road intersections and ruption cases. He has de-
dling of the coronavirus. bridges across the country. nied any wrongdoing and
For months, protesters have Netanyahu was indicted accuses the media, law
held weekly demonstra- last year on charges of enforcement and judicial
tions outside the prime bribery, fraud and breach officials of waging a “witch
minister’s office and at ma- of trust linked to three cor- hunt” against him.q