The URJC analyzes the effects on human rights of the Colombian 'Democratic Security Policy'

The event will feature the virtual participation of former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez and the 2017 Sajárov Prize winner, Lorent Saleh, who will examine the impact of the security policies of the Uribe period on Human Rights in Colombia. They will be accompanied by the MEP of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the European Parliament, José Ramón Bauzá.

Raul Garcia Hemonnet

With the seminar 'Contemporary History of Colombia: A review of the Democratic Security Policy', which will be held this Friday, June 11 (17:XNUMX p.m. Spanish time), the Rey Juan Carlos University, through its Center for European Studies, has the objective of putting before the mirror of History this policy that generated a significant impact on the state of respect for Human Rights in Colombia.

The symposium will feature the participation of the main architect of said policy, the country's former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez (2002-2010), the Venezuelan opponent and 2017 Sajárov Prize winner, Lorent Saleh, and the MEP of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the European Parliament, José Ramon Bauza. So far, more than 1.500 people from all over the world, mainly from Latin America, have signed up. Anyone who wants to sign up can do so here. link. The 'room' is enabled for a total of 20.000 attendees.

Controversy over the presence of Uribe

The event and, especially, its main speaker, have generated significant controversy on social networks, at a time when Colombia is experiencing a wave of protests due to the cost of living and violent responses by the police forces that have already caused more than a hundred dead.

Faced with these criticisms, the organizer of the seminar and professor of International Relations, Julio Guinea Bonillo, expresses himself, “the university is a space for speech and we will address all issues related to Human Rights. It will be a seminar, not a political rally for anyone, and we will ask Álvaro Uribe about his management and its chiaroscuro, regarding respect for human rights in Colombia”.

False positives

In this review of the Uribe administrations regarding security policies, the issue of 'False Positives' will be addressed: civilian victims presented as guerrillas killed by members of the Colombian armed forces, for whom they received economic incentives. “Relatives of innocent people who had nothing to do with the armed conflict were killed with impunity. A report from the European Parliament states that 99% of these victims suffered from a lack of reparation, "explains Julio Guinea, who has indicated that they will also ask the former Colombian president if" his management of him was ethical or not.

This issue will serve to address the role of institutions such as the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights in guaranteeing respect for these fundamental rights in the region.

broaden focus

Lorent Saleh, 2017 Sajárov Prize winner, will accompany Álvaro Uribe in the dialogue and will transfer his experience in the fight for human rights, in this case, in Venezuela. For his part, the Popular Party MEP José Ramón Bauzá, together with the rest of the speakers, will analyze what role the European Union can play to "facilitate the guarantee of a greater demand for the care of Human Rights in Colombia and other countries", he explains. Julio Guinea, who adds that he will do so "at a time like the present, when there is talk again of the foreign policy vetoes of the member states." Germany has recently called for the removal of this veto right.

An opportunity to learn first-hand about the recent reality of Colombia at a time when the country is very current.