E/CN.4/1995/111 page 16 C. "Social cleansing" 48. The elimination of marginalized and impoverished sectors of the population has been a steady phenomenon during the past 15 years, particularly in urban areas of Colombia. After the first such killings in 1979 in the city of Pereira, where a "death squad" killed a number of criminals, this form of violence quickly spread to other cities of Colombia: Medellín and Bogotá in 1980, Cali and other cities in the Cauca valley in 1981, Bucaramanga and other urban areas in the Magdalena Medio region in 1983. Since then, "social cleansing" killings were reported to have occurred in all departments of Colombia. Antioquia, Atlántico, Distrito Capital, Santander and Valle del Cauca were those most affected. According to non-governmental organizations, by 1990 approximately 400 persons per year were victims of this kind of violence, whereas 505 deaths were registered for 1992. These figures, together with other elements, such as the threats that often precede the killings and the modus operandi of the authors, suggest that the phenomenon is not just a casual one. 49. In addition to criminals, persons from other sectors of the population whose presence was considered undesirable became the targets of such killings: prostitutes, homosexuals, beggars, drug consumers and street children. The killings are often preceded by torture, allegedly with the purpose of making it impossible to identify the victim (and therefore to carry out an investigation) and sending an intimidatory message to the above sectors. Several sources expressed their concern to the Special Rapporteurs that, over the years, "social cleansing" had become more and more accepted and acceptable, as a solution to the question of how to deal with marginalized sectors of the population. The qualification "desechables" (disposable) for those regarded as undesirable has gained legitimacy. 50. "Social cleansing" killings are typically carried out by "death squads". Over the years, many different groups have made their appearance in different cities throughout the country. Reportedly, police personnel often participate in "death squads". Sometimes, these groups are said to be organized by shopkeepers of an area with the aim of cleaning their streets of persons whose presence is regarded as a threat. Even where the "death squads" are composed of private gunmen, the police reportedly do not intervene. According to the information received by the Special Rapporteurs, virtually no attempts on the part of the security forces to dismantle or disarm such groups and prosecute their members are known. In a small number of cases, disciplinary proceedings were said to have been opened. In one instance only, such proceedings concluded with the dismissal of 15 police officers and other sanctions against a further 34 policemen, after the Archbishop of Pereira denounced their involvement in "social cleansing" killings in 1991. In other cases, the policemen involved were said to have been transferred to other areas of the country, thus impeding the progress of the disciplinary proceedings. D. Other factors of violence 51. The overall level of violence in Colombia is very high. Many persons whom the Special Rapporteurs met during their visit pointed long history of armed conflicts - civil wars and armed insurgency absence of a functioning State administration in large parts of the of the out that a and the country