Student murders in Colombia

– It is quite clear that murder and violations of human rights against student leaders have increased since president Álvaro Uribe Vélez came into power, said Colombian Maryenis Galván.

She is a member of the Colombian student union, ACEU, an organisation which has previously received the Student Peace Prize in Norway, a prize they were given for their contribution to student’s rights in Colombia. The reason why Galván is here now, is to talk about the oppression of student rights and the increasing number of Colombian student politicians found murdered. In October alone, two student leaders were killed. Julian Hurtado Castillo was shot and killed by paramilitary outside her home on October 5, and student leader Milton Troyano Sanchez was found murdered on the 20th. Both of them were well-known critics of the Colombian government.

SP resolution

The situation for the student politicians in Colombia has lead the Student Parliament (SP) at the University of Oslo to take action. Last Thursday they promoted a resolution in support of ACEU and the Colombian students.

– We want the Norwegian government to take action against the Colombian government, said Robin Sande who is responsible for international affairs at the Student Parliament.

– We will do our best to inform about the conditions in Colombia, and we hope that other student organisations will do the same. We also want to achieve a widespread national and international campaign in support of the Colombian students, said SP leader, Lina Johanne Strand.

Former student leader in Colombia, Fernando Ruíz, thinks that it is very important that the Colombian government is told that international student organisations knows about the situation, thus forcing them to do something about it.

– Witch hunt

Ruíz is in Norway on exchange through Fredskorpset (the Peace Corps) together with Maryenis Falván. Neither Ruíz nor Galván doubts that the authorities is behind the brutal student murders.

– It is almost like a medieval witch hunt, and in a society where more than six million people live in poverty, it is not so surprising that some are tempted to report their neighbour, Ruíz explained.

In two years, 47 students have been killed and many have disappeared without a trace. In addition, the authorities has started a network where informers are paid for the information they give. People are put in jail on false accusations, they are put to flight, forced to leave their homes and their families. Ruíz explains that telephone tapping and harassment is part of everyday life.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs responds

And the Norwegian authorities are ready to take action. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs stress that they share the Student Parliament’s concern regarding the situation for the Colombian students.

– The subject of the Colombian student’s safety will be addressed to the Colombian authorities in an appropriate manner, said counsellor for the ministry’s Latin America section, Øyvind Udland Johansen.

In the meantime, the death threats and the harassing continue. Ruíz doesn’t make a secret of how scared the students are.

– The state Colombia is in now makes it impossible not to be frightened.