Colombia Breaks All Violence Records in 2000Colombia broke all its violence records in 2000, with over 38,000 violent deaths, 205 massacres and over 3,000 kidnapped individuals, among whom 35 were foreign citizens, despite the government's peace efforts.The casualties for this year represent an increase in death numbers as compared to 1999, when 36,185 deaths were registered, according to a report made public on Thursday by the State Legal Medicine Institute. The report, which did not make a difference in the deaths caused by the armed conflict, said that 25,505 casualties were homicides, a 5 percent increase over 1999, while the number of victims of collective murders amounted to 1,226, rising by 32 percent increase. According to the Judicial Police Direction, illegal armed groups were responsible for the death of 6,483 people, 17 percent of the total. Accidents victims amounted to 2,989, accounting for 7.7 percent of the total. The number of suicide cases amounted to 2,096, which represents 5.4 percent of the total of violent deaths or a 3 percent increase over 1999's record. According to the Free Country Foundation, 3,029 people were kidnapped between January and November, 272 cases more than the same period in 1999. The report from the Foundation also reveals the guerrilla group, the National Liberation Army was responsible for 822 kidnappings ( 27.14 percent), the FARC for 701 (23.14 percent), paramilitary groups for 252 (8.32 percent), and the Popular Liberation Army for 182 kidnappings (6.01 percent). The rest of the kidnappings were committed by minority guerrillas, common crimes or by unknown groups. |
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