Report outlines atrocities in Colombia

BOGOTA, Feb. 3 (UPI) -- Violent groups in Colombia are committing atrocities in communities they control including mass murder, rape and extortion, a report says.

The 122-page document released Wednesday by Human Rights Watch calls on the Colombian government to take action against successor groups to the dismantled paramilitary coalition known as the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia.

"Like the paramilitaries, these successor groups are committing horrific atrocities and they need to be stopped," said Miguel Vivanco, Americans director for Human Rights Watch.

The report, based on two years of research, describes four regions where the groups have a substantial presence, including the city of Medellin.

They are reported to be actively recruiting new members and moving to quickly replace leaders who are arrested.

"The (Alvaro) Uribe administration has failed to treat the rise of the successor groups with the seriousness the problem requires," Vivanco said.