- 28 - Ossa, in addition to senators, representatives to the Chamber, mayors and counselors.84 77. Available sources do not give irrefutable numbers of victims of the violence against the UP. In 1995, the United Nations Rapporteurs on torture and extrajudicial executions indicated that, since 1985, the UP had has lost “more than 2,000 members, including one member of the Senate, three deputies of the House of Representatives, and a number of mayors and municipal counselors, as victims of politically motivated killings.”85 In 1998, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights stated that, “Colombian political activity is characterized by a high degree of intolerance towards opposition parties and movements. The most striking example is the case of the Patriotic Union, whose activists have been the victims of systematic executions[, … with] more than 1,500 members […] assassinated since it was formed in 1985, including elected officials and almost all its representatives to Congress. Others have had to go into exile and abandon their political posts.”86 In 1999, the Inter-American Commission stated that “[a]lmost all the members of this party elected to Congress and other important posts have been assassinated.”87 A document prepared in 2008 by the Presidential Human Rights Program of the Vice President of the Republic affirmed that, over the period 1984 to 1993, 540 murders corresponded to members of the UP. This “reveals the magnitude of the victimization of the Patriotic Union (UP) in relation to the total number of fatal and non-fatal victims of political violence between 1984 and 1994” because, on average, UP victims represent 40% of the total; although in 1986 and 1987 they represented almost 60% of all victims.88 78. The perpetrators of the crimes belonged to different groups, including the most important, the paramilitary groups, but State agents also allegedly took part in them directly and indirectly.89 The data provided by the State indicates that State agents (principally members of the Army and the Police) occupied second place among those 84 Cf. report of the Ombudsman for the Government entitled “Estudio de casos de homicidio de miembros de la Unión Patriótica y Esperanza, Paz y Libertad”, supra note 76, folios 1215 to 1216 and 1282. Furthermore, the expert witness Cifuentes affirmed that “[t]he acts of violence carried out selectively against the UP representatives were accompanied by crimes perpetrated against members of the communities or social sectors that belonged to or supported its political project in the different regions of the country. Abuses were committed in order to repress and provide a lesson. Using this mechanism, a generalized feeling of fear and terror was instilled that was able to progressively reduce the popular and electoral support for the UP, first in the areas where it received its main support and, subsequently, at the national level.” Opinion provided before notary public (affidavit) by expert witness Eduardo Cifuentes Muñoz, supra note 77, folios 8349 to 8350. 85 United Nations, Joint report of the Special Rapporteur on the question of torture, Mr. Nigel S. Rodley, and the Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, Mr. Bacre Waly Ndiaye, E/CN.4/1995/111, 16 January 1995 (evidence file, tome VII, attachment 86 to the brief with pleadings, motions and evidence, folio 3342). 86 United Nations, Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the Office in Colombia, E/CN.4/1998/16, of March 9, 1998 (evidence file, tome VII, attachment 84 to the brief with pleadings, motions and evidence, folio 3331). 87 Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, Third report on the situation of human rights in Colombia, of February 26, 1999 (evidence file, tome VI, attachment 68 to the brief with pleadings, motions and evidence, folio 2905). 88 Cf. National Administrative Department of Statistics (DANE), “Base de datos sobre conflicto y violencia política” [Database on political violence and conflict], DANE data processed by CERAC, Bogotá, January 31, 2008 (evidence file, tome XV, attachment 12 to the brief in answer to the application, folio 6554). Similarly, the expert witness Eduardo Cifuentes affirmed that “according to the records, 40% of all the reported cases of political violence in the country over the period between 1984 and 1994 (which includes all the legally recognized political parties and movements, and the social sectors affected by the violence) related to victimization of the UP; however, in 1986 and 1987 this reached 60%.” Expert opinion provided by affidavit by expert witness Eduardo Cifuentes Muñoz on January 7, 2010 (evidence file, tome XX, folio 8351). 89 Cf. report of the Ombudsman entitled “Estudio de casos de homicidio de miembros de la Unión Patriótica y Esperanza, Paz y Libertad,” supra note 76, folio 1218.