During the low-intensity civil war between the guerillas and the Colombian government, progressive Catholics were some of the most powerful advocates for human rights. However, church members were targeted by the Colombian military for their human rights works. One Colombian newspaper calculated, "between 1984 and September of 2011, two bishops, 79 priests, eight men and women religious, and three seminarians have been killed in Colombia alone.  And, for the most part, these victims have been advocates for the poor and have been killed by right-wing paramilitaries aligned with the Colombian state and military."
