Three brothers lynched, buried alive for witchcraft
By IANSSaturday, October 2, 2010
La Paz, Oct 3 (IANS/EFE) At least four men, including three brothers, were lynched and buried alive for practicing witchcraft as part of “community justice” by a group of people in Bolivia, media reports said.
On Friday, police found the body of a man who was beaten up and buried alive Aug 20 in a village in the central Cochabamba region by peasants who accused him of practicing witchcraft to kill a farm worker.
According to newspapers, Jorge Cano Rojas, a peasant of Pajcha community, was beaten up and buried alive in front of his five children so that “justice was done” in the death of another local resident.
Three weeks ago a similar incident occurred in Cochabamba, where the community members tortured and buried alive three brothers whom they accused of killing another farm worker.
The government of the Aymara Indian Evo Morales and some indigenous organisations deny that lynching is part of “community justice” in the area.
The Catholic Church, ombudsman and the UN have expressed concern over the increase of lynching cases in the country.
According to the country’s ombudsman, 20 lynching cases have been reported in Bolivia so far this year. The UN has counted at least 30 cases since 2009, without including 77 thwarted attempts.
–IANS/EFE
