MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombian guerrilla accused of killing 11 lawmakers

UN strongly condemned the reported killing in Colombia

Colombia's guerrilla movement FARC (Colombian revolutionary armed forces) are the “main culprits” for the death of the eleven local Deputies which they held captive, but so is Colombian president Alvaro Uribe, said on Sunday Melanie Betancourt, daughter of Ingrid Betancourt held at ransom by the Marxist oriented guerrillas.

Melaine Betancourt made the statement before Sunday mass to honour the dead elected representatives, at the basilica of Sacré-Coeur in Paris. "What is happening is abominable" said Melaine next to her brother Lorenzo and father Fabrice Delloye. ?The FARC is the first culprit, the main responsible behind the death of the 11 elected representatives, but President Uribe is also responsible because in these last five years of arrests by the guerrilla ?he hasn't done what he should, to find a solution for a humanitarian agreement?, she added. The dead parliamentarians were part of a group of 56 hostages which FARC had the intention of liberating in exchange for 500 arrested guerrilla members. Ingrid Betancourt who is French-Colombian was abducted in 2002 and is among the hundreds kidnapped by FARC. Between the FARC and the Colombian government ?it?s hard to know who you can trust?, said Melaine. ?I hope after what has happened FARC will show a trifle of humanity?. According to the guerrilla the eleven elected representatives kidnapped since April 2002, died on June 18 of ?cross fire? during the attack of a ?military group? to one of their camps. Colombian president Uribe denied point blank having ordered a military operation and accused the FARC of premeditated manslaughter. The Colombian high command said that with the prospects of a massive exchange of prisoners, but no agreement on where to make the operation, ?the terrorists are particularly nervous and simply killed the eleven deputies believing they were under attack?. Over 24.000 people have been kidnapped in Colombia during the last decade and to this day 3.143 remain captive in the hands of illegal groups such as FARC, ELN (National Liberation Army) and the United Self defence forces, AUC. Of the 24.000 since 1996, 1.269 died in captivity, including the eleven representatives, according to a report from Colombia?s main newspaper, El Tiempo. Furthermore, 2.700 of those abducted were children. El Tiempo points out that in the last ten years, 6.772 were abducted by FARC; 5.389 by ELN and 1.163 by AUC; however it?s unknown who kidnapped another 5.105. Businessmen, truck and bus drivers are the social groups which most suffered kidnappings, 2.769 and 916, followed by farmers, 740; students 503; 454 politicians and 431 housewives. Another 428 remain unaccounted for. Colombian Special Forces have rescued 4.422 of the 24.000 captive by illegal groups but there are insistent requests from relatives to the government to avoid risky operations fearing the loss of lives, as has happened on several occasions. Meantime from New York the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights strongly condemned the reported killing in Colombia of 11 lawmakers who had been held hostage by a guerrilla group. In a statement released on Friday, Louise Arbour urged a full and impartial investigation into the killings by the FARC, saying those responsible must brought to justice in accordance with international standards. Recalling that all parties to the conflict are bound by international human rights and humanitarian law on the treatment of civilians, the High Commissioner also called for the immediate release of all hostages being held in Colombia. The FARC has since last year been fighting with another guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army (ELN), causing more people to flee in a country where the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says there are 2 million registered displaced persons and an estimated additional million who are unregistered. Some 200,000 Colombians may be in need of international protection in Venezuela, according to UNHCR, which has field offices on both sides of the border.