By Zoila Palma: The family of Colombian fisherman Alejandro Carranza has filed what is believed to be the first formal human rights complaint challenging U.S. airstrikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean.
The petition, submitted Tuesday to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights by U.S. attorney Dan Kovalik, alleges that Carranza was unlawfully killed when a U.S. strike hit his vessel off Colombia’s coast on September 15, CNN reports.
The filing accuses Washington of carrying out an extrajudicial killing and names U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump as responsible for authorizing the campaign.
The complaint comes amid growing scrutiny of a U.S. operation that has conducted at least 22 strikes since September, killing more than 80 people the White House says were linked to violent drug cartels.
U.S. officials argue the missions comply with the Law of Armed Conflict, asserting the targets were participants in an armed conflict against the United States. But Kovalik disputes that justification, saying Carranza was a lifelong fisherman harvesting marlin and tuna, not a trafficker.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro—who has also raised concerns about the strikes—said Carranza’s distressed vessel showed signs of engine trouble and insisted the fisherman’s actions “never deserved the death penalty.”
Petro has called for a Colombian legal commission to investigate what he labeled “crimes” in the Caribbean, while Kovalik says additional petitions from other families are expected.
The IACHR, in a statement issued the same day as the complaint, urged the United States to ensure all overseas security operations align with international human rights obligations, including protections for life, due process and accountability.
The post International News: Colombian family files first known Human Rights complaint over deadly U.S. strike appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
By Zoila Palma: The family of Colombian fisherman Alejandro Carranza has filed what is believed to be the first formal human rights complaint challenging U.S. airstrikes on suspected drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean. The petition, submitted Tuesday to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights by U.S. attorney Dan Kovalik, alleges that Carranza was unlawfully killed
The post International News: Colombian family files first known Human Rights complaint over deadly U.S. strike appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
