by CPT-Colombia
In recent weeks, renewed fighting between the Colombian Army and FARC guerillas has intensified throughout various regions of the country. Aerial bombardment of guerilla encampments is terrifying the local civilian population and putting nearby communities at risk.
One of CPT’s partner organizations, CAHUCOPANA, works for human rights in Northeast Antioquia, an area seriously affected by the fighting. Residents of CAHUCOPANA’s member communities have decided to stay in the territory to defend their livelihoods while actively denouncing the bombing and urging the national government to seek a negotiated solution to the conflict.
CPTers visited the region to accompany community leaders and document the impact of the aerial bombardment on civilian areas. Residents recovered fragments from a U.S.-made bomb that exploded a mere 300 meters from the village of San Pacho. The wing assembly is part of a GPS guidance kit manufactured by Raytheon that transforms the MK 82 gravity bomb into a smart bomb.1
1 Washington Post – https://goo.gl/uPvYwO