Human rights defenders in Colombia report paramilitary threats http://www.telesurtv.net/noticias/secciones/nota/70696-NN/defensores-de-ddhh-en-colombia-denuncian-amenazas-de-paramilitares-en-su-contra/

More than 60 human rights organizations, foundations, social and trade unions, have complained they have been subjected to threats by new rightwing paramilitary groups in Colombia, who accuse them of keeping suspected links to insurgent groups like the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).  According to a report by teleSUR correspondent in Colombia, Vladimir Carrillo, director of the Corporacion humanidad vigente, Oneida Giraldo, denounced for the second time a statement issued by paramilitary groups, which  declared them a military target as well as 59 other humanitarian and social organizations. 

"It is a form of persecution and pressure for organizations to cease their complaints in their work for the defense of human rights," said Giraldo of teleSUR before the cameras. They believe that the measure threatened extortion due to complaints they have made on the relocation and expansion of paramilitary groups in Colombia, based on studies showing that in 293 of the thousand cities of the South American country more then  32 departments these  paramilitary groups are present today. 

The threats also match the pattern of action of paramilitary groups in Colombia and, according to various social sectors are part of the strategy of the government of President Alvaro Uribe to identify and stigmatize those who are opposed to its policies of state. The head of DAS, Felipe Munoz said his agency began its work of intelligence  corroborate the allegations made by the Consultancy for Human Rights and Displacement (CODHES). In addition to the 60 humanitarian organizations, social and trade union were declared military targets delegates from United Nations Program for Development (UNDP, for its acronym in English) and Sens. George Robledo, Alexander Lopez and Guillermo Jaramillo, of the opposition Polo Democrático Alternativo (PDA). 

Olga Amparo Sanchez, director of the Casa de la Mujer, an organization aimed at providing support to people displaced by paramilitaries in the Colombian department of Cesar (northeast), teleSUR said that being against government positions for many organizations became targets of paramilitaries. "When are targeted for these groups? When we are in opposition to public policy or national government positions or when we demand that the Colombian government meets the national and international agreement on protection of human rights," said Sanchez. 

It is believed that the extradition of former paramilitary leaders of the Forces of Colombia (AUC) to the United States has caused resentment in the far-right sectors, in response to what they see as betrayal by the Colombian Government, have been reassembled and started again irregular practices. According to some reports, many of the people were under threat by new paramilitary groups were victims of so-called strikes, the Colombian government's program of illegal interceptions of telephone conversations ordered the DAS.