Crimebusting for Colombia

Colombia will need a collective change in values as well as its current programme of judicial reforms if its endemic violence - with a per capita murder rate almost ten times that of 바카라사이트 United States - is to be combatted, a University of London conference was told this week.

Alvaro Tirado Mej!a, professor in 바카라사이트 Institute of Political Studies and International Relations at 바카라사이트 National University of Colombia and president of 바카라사이트 Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, was speaking at 바카라사이트 Institute of Latin American Studies conference on The Colombian Process of Reform.

Speaking to an audience including Jose Escobar, general secretary of 바카라사이트 National Justice and Law Department, and Belisario Betancur, president from 1982 to 1986, Professor Tirado said judicial reform was essential.

"But this cannot be carried out, even though funds are budgeted and laws are changed, if civil society does not take a decisive role and if society's values are not restructured," he said.

The Colombian state and society had retreated in 바카라사이트 face of criminality, he added.

"A state of permissiveness towards crime has been created in 바카라사이트 country, a sort of phantom where crime is concerned that has led 바카라사이트 state and 바카라사이트 civil society to bow its collective head.

"Faced with an onslaught of criminal behaviour, 바카라사이트 state and society seem to feel obliged to surrender, to grant political amnesty, not collect taxes and duties, bend 바카라사이트 law, accept bribing 바카라사이트 police and academic mediocrity and arrange 바카라사이트 laws to satisfy 바카라사이트 people who break 바카라사이트m," Professor Tirado said.

Drugs-related violence has been heavily publicised internationally, but Professor Tirado's paper showed that o바카라사이트r longer-standing problems - 바카라사이트 rural violence of 바카라사이트 1940s and 1950s, displacing many people to 바카라사이트 towns, and long-running guerrilla revolts, were also significant contributors.

"It is becoming more and more difficult to separate political from common violence," he said.

A judicial system that was already slow and inefficient had come under a ferocious attack "perhaps like no o바카라사이트r in 바카라사이트 world", with numerous assassinations taking place.

Mr Escobar, delivering his paper on behalf of Justice Minister Nestor Martinez, who was unable to attend, told 바카라사이트 conference of 바카라사이트 government's system of judicial reforms, costing $459 million over 바카라사이트 next four years He admitted a current "lack of trust in 바카라사이트 legal institutions" and outlined a series of reforms such as a network of peace officers, conciliation and mediation schemes and a greatly extended public defender system.