Opposition Party Protests MIT Appearance by Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez

Cambridge, MA - Members of the Boston Chapter of the Colombian left-wing opposition party Polo Democratico Alternativo (Alternative Democratic Pole) and allies held a Kendall Square protest against the appearance of former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Vélez at the 2011 MIT Latin American Conference yesterday. The activists accused Uribe of violating human rights while in office - indicating that the number of displaced people doubled under his 2002-2010 tenure in office to 5.4 million, twice as many as Sudan in the same period. They also stated that a large number of people in his administration have been imprisoned or are facing trial for links to right-wing paramilitary groups, including his cousin, and that he ordered illegal wire taps of judges, NGOs and leaders of the opposition. After briefly handing out leaflets to passers-by, the protestors walked to MIT's Tang Center where Uribe was speaking and concluded their protest.

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