E/CN.4/1988/17/Add.l
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4.
In the course of his visit to Colombia, the Special Rapporteur met the
following authorities: the President of the Supreme Court, Mr. Juan Hernandez
Saenz; the Minister of Justice, Mr. Enrique Low Murtra; the
Attorney-General, Mr. Carlos Mauro Hoyos Jimenez; the Director of the
National Police, Gen. Jose Guillermo Medina; the Secretary-General and the
Under-Director of the Administrative Department of Security "DAS", Mr. Gabriel
Gutierrez and Mr. Alberto Romero; the Presidential Adviser for the Protection
and Promotion of Human Rights, Mr. Alvaro Tirado Mejia; the Minister in
Charge for Foreign Affairs, Mr. Fernando Cepeda Ulloa, and the Minister of
Government, Mr. Cesar Gaviria Trujillo.
5.
In Argentina he met: the President of the Supreme Court,
Mr. Severo Caballero; the Secretary of Justice, Mr. Enrique Paixao; the
Minister of Education and Justice, Mr. Jorge Sabato; the Attorney-General,
Mr. Andres D'Alessio; the Secretary of the Interior, Mr. Juan Octavio Gauna;
the Under-Secretary of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in charge of
Human Rights, Ms. Maria Teresa Merciadri de Morini; with the Under-Secretary
for Foreign Policy, Mr. Jorge Mauhourat; the President of the Permanent
Assembly for Human Rights, Mr. Alfredo Bravo and representatives of the group
of relatives of missing persons known as the "Abuelas de la Plaza de Mayo".
6.
Finally in Uruguay he was received by the Minister for Foreign Affairs,
Mr. Enrique Iglesias; the Minister of the Interior, Mr. Antonio Marquesano;
the Attorney-General, Mr. Rafael Robato CalcafSo; the Minister of Education
and Culture, Ms. Adela Reta and the Minister of the Supreme Court, Ms. Jacinta
Balvuela.
7.
The Special Rapporteur deemed these visits extremely useful for carrying
out his mandate, since they have enabled him to analyse more thoroughly the
factors which contribute to a situation where torture may occur and actually
did occur and to get a clearer insight into measures which can be taken to
eradicate this evil and prevent its recurrence. Although each situation
requires its own measures, a certain common pattern can be recognized in the
preventive measures which have been taken in the respective countries; the
difficulties which have to be overcome also have similar characteristics. All
three countries have governments which solemnly declared that they will
respect and guarantee human rights; all three unreservedly condemn the
practice of torture and have become parties to the United Nations Convention
against Torture and Other Cruel Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment.
Colombia
8.
The Special Rapporteur had consultations with the authorities of Colombia
on 10 and 11 December 1987. The situation in that country is a matter of
serious concern to the Government; civil strife, together with actions taken
by organized crime dealing with narcotics, have led to a situation of violence
and lawlessness, where syndicates of hired killers (sicarios) and people who
kidnap for ransom flourish. This situation is compounded by strong political
controversies and the existence of an armed guerrilla. Certain links are said
to exist between organized crime and political factions of the extreme left
and right. The Special Rapporteur had received many allegations of torture,
generally coinciding with kidnappings and wanton killings. According to the
Attorney-General (Procurador General de la Nacion), who himself became the
victim of violence in January 1988 when he was shot by representatives of
organized crime, reforms in the economic, social and political sphere are
desperately needed to remove the causes of insecurity and violence, since