The United Nations condemns the murder of Colombian human rights activist Carlos Bernal in a statement issued on 3rd April. Despite the fact that Bernal, the head of the opposition Independent Democratic Pole Party for the Norte de Santander region and a member of the country’s Permanent Committee for Human Rights, was part of a Colombian state-run programme that protects threatened political leaders, he was shot on 1st April in the city of Cucuta.

Colombia's government rejects a British newspaper report claiming the country was planning to send troops to Iraq. In a written statement, Uribe said the government has "never considered the possibility" of sending troops to assist coalition forces in Iraq. The president's spokesman, Ricardo Galan, also said Mr. Uribe did not discuss the matter with President Bush during a meeting at the White House last week. The Financial Times newspaper last week had quoted a U.S. State Department official saying Colombia was considering the move to ensure U.S. support in the fight against drug trafficking.

The European Union (EU) added Colombia's National Liberation Army (ELN) to its blacklist of terrorist organisations. The group was added after heavy lobbying by President Uribe, who appealed to EU leaders on a recent European visit to add the rebel group to the list and crack down on European groups channelling funds to it. EU member states are obliged to freeze funds and ensure that all financial assets "are not made available, directly or indirectly, for the benefit of specified persons or groups " on the list.

UN acting Commissioner condemns Colombian government; police investigation fails.

The U.N.'s Acting High Commissioner for Human Rights, Bertrand Ramcharan, criticised the Colombian government for undermining the rule of law, and condemned the on-going violence and killings by Colombia's rebel and paramilitary groups. In his report to the Human Rights Commission, the U.N.'s top human rights official presented a grim assessment of the internal armed conflict. He said that both guerrilla groups, the FARC-EP and ELN, and the paramilitary groups, continue to kill civilians, take hostages, force people out of their homes, recruit child soldiers and use anti-personnel mines, AP reports.

The Ministry of Defence presents the results of an investigation into an army platoon’s massacre of seven police agents and four informants in Guatarilla (Nariño). The two officials leading the operation have been dismissed yielding conflicting stories and putting the Defence Minister’s job in jeopardy. Two days ago an army major said that before the ‘friendly fire’ incident that killed seven National Police officers, their cars were carrying cocaine, El Tiempo reports.

A lie detector test carried out on employees at Colombia's Attorney General’s office has produced an embarrassing 20% failure rate. The FBI-administered test is designed to root out corruption, including involvement in drug trafficking or guerrilla and paramilitary groups. Mr Osorio has admitted that the institution is going through a "bad moment", but he denied that the results were a disaster and said those that failed would not automatically lose their jobs, El Tiempo reports.

The British Embassy in Colombia reports they will support the Colombian displaced population with a programme worth 225 m pesos (£49,000). British Ambassador Tom Duggin reports that the programme will be implemented by the local NGO Cedavida, El Espectador reports.

Private oil investors and companies working in new exploitations will get to keep 100 percent of the production of oil, Colombian officials announce in Dallas in a new move by the Colombian president to attract new investments, El Tiempo reports.

Almost 200 British members of parliament call for a suspension of military aid to Colombia, the Guardian reports.