(3 Feb 1998) Spanish/Nat
President Ernesto Samper has hit back at a recent U-S report criticising Colombia's record on human rights abuse and rekindling debate over Samper's own integrity.
The president's rebuttal followed the publication of a controversial state department report published last Thursday.
Several guerrilla movements are currently active in Colombia.
Their struggle against Colombia's police and armed forces claims hundreds of innocent lives each year.
But the paramilitary groups and death squads operate often with apparent impunity. An estimated 98 per cent of crimes in Colombia go unpunished.
Human rights advocates allege these same groups act with the covert backing of military personnel.
And an annual report published by the U-S state department last week reaffirmed those suspicions.
But these and other claims were strongly denied by Samper on Monday. He dismissed the report as politically motivated.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"The only thing worse than the current situation regarding human rights is using the issue politically to harm a democracy, to disregard its institutions, to demonise them or even to try to destabilize them"
SUPER CAPTION: Ernesto Samper, President of Colombia
The angry rebuttal contrasts with the view of military sources who admit there is serious abuse of human rights.
Some sources have welcomed the report's concern over the level of rebel kidnappings and assassination attempts.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"In a more realistic dimension, one could even say its impossible to examine the problem of human rights without referring, in its characteristics and solutions, to the armed conflict which currently bloodies us. The possibility of a massive violation of human rights in the scenario of guerrilla warfare, which we are going through is real, dramatically real."
SUPER CAPTION: Ernesto Samper, President of Colombia
The U-S report also raised concern over the presidency, and repeated past allegations that Samper had accepted six (m) million dollars from drug cartels to finance his 1994 electoral campaign.
At least three of Samper's campaign team are now in prison charged with involvement in the case.
But Samper defended his government's integrity.
He commented to on the growing alarm at so-called human cartels - the trafficking of humans and physical organs.
Samper announced a crack down was underway to erase the illegal trade.
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