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Article: Economics fuels return of La Violencia: Colombia's religious, human rights groups seek end to slaughter. (Catholic church tries to mediate amid torture and murder of civilians by paramilitary forces and others)(Cover Story)
- Article from:
- National Catholic Reporter
- Article date:
- October 24, 1997
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1997 National Catholic Reporter. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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VILLAVICENCIO, Colombia -- William Rozo spoke in a hushed staccato from his desk at the office of the Catholic church's local Committee for Justice, Life and Peace. Flanked by posters -- one heralding the rights of civilians to remain neutral during armed conflicts, another from the United Nations urging Colombians to "join the force for peace" -- Rozo gave a preliminary accounting of the massacre committed by a paramilitary squad in the town of Mapiripan.
"The diocese has a record of 26 people killed. Most were mutilated with machetes, their heads were chopped off, their chests sliced open in the sign of a cross so the oodles wouldn't float when thrown into ...