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The United Nations reports an increase in mass killings in various regions of the South American country in recent months.
Colombia has recorded at least 42 massacres since early 2020, the highest number since the signing of a peace agreement with former FARC combatants in 2016, according to the United Nations.
The UN, responsible for verifying the implementation of the agreement, said Secretary General Antonio Guterres was concerned about the increase in mass killings in various regions of the South American country in recent months. The UN defines a massacre as the murder of three or more people at the same time.
He said 13 other incidents were being verified.
The UN peacekeeping mission in Colombia recorded 36 massacres in 2019, 29 in 2018 and 11 in 2017.
“These crimes occur mainly in areas of poverty where the State has little presence, where the illegal economy reigns and there are disputes between illegal armed groups and criminal organizations,” said the report published this Thursday.
Colombia is experiencing an increase in violence due to armed groups that are financed through drug trafficking, according to the Colombian government.
The UN also pointed to “relentless violence” against former FARC combatants, with 50 of them killed since the beginning of the year.
In total, since the agreement was signed, 224 former combatants have been killed and 20 have disappeared.
The UN also noted an increase in violence against human rights activists and civil society leaders, with 48 killings, including nine people from ethnic minorities and five women, this year.
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