US: respect for human rights improves in Colombia, deteriorates in Nicaragua

Human rights saw a significant improvement in Colombia in 2010 after Juan Manuel Santos took office, according to the annual report on the subject from the US Department of State.

“Shortly after taking office in August, President Santos and his administration strengthened the relationship between the government and society, with human rights activists and paved the way for dialogue,” said the report.

The Colombian government presented a law to return lands to victims from the armed conflict in the country, for example, and the amount of extrajudicial activity decreased between 2008 and 2009.  

Meanwhile, the situation in Nicaragua worsened as democratic institutions deteriorated in 2010, according to the same report.

“Respect for human rights and democracy deteriorated throughout the year in Nicaragua. The members of opposition parties were unable to exercise their right to meet,” the report said.

With regards to the situation in Chile, the document states that security forces in that country are subordinate to civil authorities; however, it stated that there were “isolated reports of excessive use of force and mistreatment by police forces, along with physical abuse in prisons and deplorable conditions at penitentiaries.”