It has been almost a year since the delivery of the final report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (CVR), and the Executive has implemented very few the recommendations of the CVR that are intended to favor the victims of the political violence that terrorized the country between years 1980 and 2000.

The ex-president of the CVR, Salomn Lerner Febres, and the Defender of the Town, Walter Albn Peralta, pronounced yesterday the necessity of giving greater diffusion to the final report that was prepared by the commission in two-years.

Although treated as such, the former commissioner's words did not sound very hard, Lerner showed their deception when indicating that "the expectations of Peruvian society and those that underwent violent attacks still wait, for justice has not been satisfied".

After participating in a meeting summoned by human rights organizations in the Great Plaza, it seemed that any advance with respect to this subject had to begin by the diffusion of the report" then if the recommendations and conclusions are still not known, the recommendations will be poorly fulfilled."

Reparations

Lerner also called attention to the fact that there there have been no firm advances in two aspects: the trial of cases in spite of the testimonials contributed by the work of the CVR; and the reparations to victims, although they are collective.

The Defendant of the Town Walter, Alban, indicated that the few cases that have appeared before the Judicial Power have been denounced as soon as they went before the Public Ministry and in addition, "with very serious deficiencies."

Alban also indicated that there are resources going to communities that are clearly not defined by the Plan of Peace and Development as zones affected by the violence, and that the program overall is not one that takes poverty levels into account when calculating reparations.

Things to Fulfill

When addressing the recommendations that still need to be fulfilled by the government, the ex-president of the CVR asserted that the government must extend the number of solicitors and operators of justice for human rights cases and advance the implementation of the national registry of victims.

 "Also, plans in two essential areas have to begin; education and health. Access to education for the victims has not been facilitated nor were proposed curricula fulfilled. Also, the national plan of mental health does not work for those who were traumatized by the violence," finalized Lerner Febres.

Toledo received the final report of the CVR on the 28 of August of 2003. According to the report, 70 thousand people died from political violence between years 1980 and 2000. Of every 4 victims, 3 were indigenous farmers whose language was Quechua.

Campaign in Search of Reparations

In a brief ceremony that occurred at the Grand Plaza, the National Coordinator of Human rights, the Fight Against Poverty, and the Defender of the Town the group "So that it is not repeated," initiated the campaign "the healthy memory, justice reparations" to call to the attention of the State and its citizenship the urgent need to concentrate on the implementation of the recommendations of the CVR.

As a part of the initiative, the group hung a gigantic banner with the mentioned phrase on a building. They also conducted similar ceremonies in 300 plazas all over the country.

The central ceremony will take place on the 27 August at 7 p.m., when a great concentration of people will form in front of the Palace of Justice to reiterate the order, that, a year after the publication of the final report, little has been done on behalf of the government.

Published in: La Republica, Copyright La Republica 2004, 23 August 2004