Thank you, Mr. Chair.
I don't think you should be attacking your Conservative colleagues for the ideological stand they've taken.
I want to correct the record, because Mr. Navarro actually did speak to us on December 3. Page 4 of the transcript states that, “...among all the groups that support the free trade agreement. It's approximately 10% of the unionism in Colombia.” That's on the record of December 3. I won't have time to come back to the issue, but that is the figure cited at that time.
I want to thank all of the witnesses for coming forward today. I hope you are aware that these hearings have ignited interest across the country. We've had more letters by people requesting to come before this committee than I've seen in the six years I've been here. I think Mr. Cannis will agree with me on that. He's the other senior member on this committee. So we've had widespread interest, with a great number of human rights organizations, labour organizations, and environmental organizations requesting to come before this committee. I'm sure all members will take their responsibilities seriously to have full and comprehensive hearings.
I want to go first to the issue of human rights reports, because it's very relevant, given the scope of the amendment that was put forward by Mr. Brison. We've had other human rights reports over the last few months, and we've had comments from Mr. Uribe and Mr. Santos about them.
I'd like to cite the following, which the BBC also reported, that when the U.S. Department of State published a report last month, not only did Mr. Uribe denounce the report, but he also said the following: “...those entrenched interests that in serving human rights just end up promoting the policies desired by those in collusion with terrorism.” So he denounced the U.S. Department of State report by saying that those working for human rights were promoting the policies desired by those colluding with terrorism.
Mr. Santos, in responding to the same report, said similar things. He said it was based on false information, was manipulated, hypocritical, and exposed the U.S.'s double standards on human rights.
We had a previous report last fall, when another NGO reported on human rights concerns. Mr. Uribe said at the time that the group presenting that report was “always trying to disorientate the country...with reports that do not correspond to the truth.” We also have Mr. Santos saying that Colombia's human rights NGOs were in league with the guerillas.
Systematically and regularly, both Mr. Uribe and Mr. Santos have denounced human rights defenders.
So my question is the following: do you repudiate those comments, those attacks on human rights defenders?
Secondly, how can it be credible that the Colombian government reports on itself when the human rights defenders and advocates who come forward, including the U.S. Department of State, are denounced for having published information about Colombia showing the extent of the human rights violations occurring there?