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Aragorn
14th February 2018, 09:02
PART 1 - A Massacre of Farmers


DESCRIPTION


On October 5, 2017, police opened fire on unarmed farmers in Tumaco, Colombia. Eight were killed, with dozens more shot. The massacre was part of a crackdown on coca farmers in the "War On Drugs" despite an agreement for crop substitution--and amidst new threats from Trump, ordering the government to use more force or face consequences.

The Empire Files goes on-the-ground to investigate the massacre, interviewing witnesses and casualties. Abby Martin visits recently-destroyed farms, uses hidden cameras to confront soldiers about the operations, and explores the context of such a killing less than a year after the historic peace deal ending the country's 53-year civil war.


DURATION


30 minutes






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCwLXmQNLWU







PART 2 - Hidden Assassinations Behind US-Colombia Trade Agreement


DESCRIPTION


In 2017, murders of social leaders, union organizers and indigenous activists in Colombia hit a new high since the historic peace agreement.

Abby Martin goes to Colombia to document the increasingly deadly situation for human rights activists. Hear from an Afro-Colombian union leader under threat of assassination, and how the US Empire created this epidemic today.


DURATION


19 minutes






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ncvo7IAbI

Emil El Zapato
16th February 2018, 02:34
PART 1 - A Massacre of Farmers


DESCRIPTION


On October 5, 2017, police opened fire on unarmed farmers in Tumaco, Colombia. Eight were killed, with dozens more shot. The massacre was part of a crackdown on coca farmers in the "War On Drugs" despite an agreement for crop substitution--and amidst new threats from Trump, ordering the government to use more force or face consequences.

The Empire Files goes on-the-ground to investigate the massacre, interviewing witnesses and casualties. Abby Martin visits recently-destroyed farms, uses hidden cameras to confront soldiers about the operations, and explores the context of such a killing less than a year after the historic peace deal ending the country's 53-year civil war.


DURATION


30 minutes






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCwLXmQNLWU







PART 2 - Hidden Assassinations Behind US-Colombia Trade Agreement


DESCRIPTION


In 2017, murders of social leaders, union organizers and indigenous activists in Colombia hit a new high since the historic peace agreement.

Abby Martin goes to Colombia to document the increasingly deadly situation for human rights activists. Hear from an Afro-Colombian union leader under threat of assassination, and how the US Empire created this epidemic today.


DURATION


19 minutes






https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ncvo7IAbI



That's pretty serious journalism...not glamorous, just down in the dirt...a bit of taint from an ignominious past... :)

Ok, that's serious journalism, but you might want to fact check the 2016 snub by Obama of the American-Columbian Trade Agreement. This is what I found:

Labor in the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement

The U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (“the Agreement”) includes strong protections for workers’ rights, based on the May 10, 2007, bipartisan Congressional-Executive agreement to incorporate high labor standards into America’s trade agreements. In addition, President Obama insisted that a number of serious and immediate labor concerns be addressed before he would be willing to send the Agreement to Congress. These concerns included violence against Colombian labor union members; inadequate efforts to bring perpetrators of murders of such persons to justice; and insufficient protection of workers’ rights in Colombia.

As a result, the U.S. and Colombian governments announced, on April 7, 2011, an ambitious and comprehensive Action Plan that included major, swift and concrete steps for the Colombian government to take. The U.S. Government has confirmed that Colombia has met all of its Action Plan milestones to date. In addition, successful implementation of key elements of the Action Plan will be a precondition for the Agreement to enter into force.

-Read the full Colombian Action Plan related to labor rights

https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/agreements/morocco/pdfs/Colombian%20Action%20Plan%20Related%20to%20Labor%2 0Rights.pdf

RECENT ACTIONS UNDER THE ACTION PLAN 2016

Formally requested the International Labor Organization (ILO) to significantly strengthen its presence in Colombia in order to help implement the measures outlined in the Action Plan related to Labor Rights, including by helping to monitor the use of collective pacts and supporting the tripartite process.

Issued a decree reforming the scope and functioning of the interagency committee that reviews risk assessments for the government protection program.

Completed an analysis by the Prosecutor General’s Office of closed unionist homicide cases in order to extract lessons to improve the investigation and prosecution of future cases.

Eliminated the backlog of risk assessments for applicants to the government protection program for threatened union members and activists.

Completed the reassignment of 50 new judicial police investigators to criminal cases involving union members and activists.

Posted a dozen additional documents on Action Plan implementation on the Colombian Presidency website.

Aragorn
16th February 2018, 07:10
That's pretty serious journalism...not glamorous, just down in the dirt...a bit of taint from an ignominious past... :)

Ok, that's serious journalism, but you might want to fact check the 2016 snub by Obama of the American-Columbian Trade Agreement. This is what I found:

Labor in the U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement

The U.S.-Colombia Trade Promotion Agreement (“the Agreement”) includes strong protections for workers’ rights, based on the May 10, 2007, bipartisan Congressional-Executive agreement to incorporate high labor standards into America’s trade agreements. In addition, President Obama insisted that a number of serious and immediate labor concerns be addressed before he would be willing to send the Agreement to Congress. These concerns included violence against Colombian labor union members; inadequate efforts to bring perpetrators of murders of such persons to justice; and insufficient protection of workers’ rights in Colombia.

As a result, the U.S. and Colombian governments announced, on April 7, 2011, an ambitious and comprehensive Action Plan that included major, swift and concrete steps for the Colombian government to take. The U.S. Government has confirmed that Colombia has met all of its Action Plan milestones to date. In addition, successful implementation of key elements of the Action Plan will be a precondition for the Agreement to enter into force.

-Read the full Colombian Action Plan related to labor rights

https://ustr.gov/sites/default/files/uploads/agreements/morocco/pdfs/Colombian%20Action%20Plan%20Related%20to%20Labor%2 0Rights.pdf

RECENT ACTIONS UNDER THE ACTION PLAN 2016

Formally requested the International Labor Organization (ILO) to significantly strengthen its presence in Colombia in order to help implement the measures outlined in the Action Plan related to Labor Rights, including by helping to monitor the use of collective pacts and supporting the tripartite process.

Issued a decree reforming the scope and functioning of the interagency committee that reviews risk assessments for the government protection program.

Completed an analysis by the Prosecutor General’s Office of closed unionist homicide cases in order to extract lessons to improve the investigation and prosecution of future cases.

Eliminated the backlog of risk assessments for applicants to the government protection program for threatened union members and activists.

Completed the reassignment of 50 new judicial police investigators to criminal cases involving union members and activists.

Posted a dozen additional documents on Action Plan implementation on the Colombian Presidency website.

Yes, that's the official narrative. But quite obviously this is not what's going on there, and the Black Guy in the White House has been replaced by a Mafia Don who doesn't like brown people... :hmm: