Armenia has brought Azerbaijan face to face with the biggest environmental disaster of the 21st century, Armenian-laid mines continue to kill people in Karabakh, well-known Colombian journalist, New York and Washington correspondent of one of the leading TV channels of her country Caracol Television and Canal 1, Paula Vargas, who recently returned from a trip to Azerbaijan, told the US bureau of Report.
“I wonder why the international institutions, which are active at the slightest incident, talking about “human rights”, remain silent regarding these crimes? As officials in Azerbaijan told us, after the war, more than 300 civilians became victims of mines, hundreds were seriously injured. There are also journalists among them. We got acquainted with the process of explosives disposal by specialists in the Aghdam district, one of the most mine-contaminated areas in the region. I watched in horror to what was happening. Armenia left such a mark on the district, it seems that this war will continue forever. That’s because the Armenian side refuses to provide Azerbaijan with maps indicating the location of mines, which take many years to clear,” she noted.
The journalist noted that after visiting Karabakh, she made sure that most of the news about the conflict in the world’s leading media is full of lies:
“Why don’t the media talk about torture and atrocities against the civilian population in Karabakh, about destroyed settlements, cemeteries, historical monuments, destroyed cities? I think that for many of my colleagues the concept of transparency, objectivity are just words. My American colleagues, who were with me during the trip were also surprised because we shed light on all the issues that interested us.”
Vargas considered that the information shared by representatives of major media sent to the region from the US is provided by Armenians:
“If a journalist writes about the allegations of Armenia, they should cover the position of the Azerbaijani side as well. Obviously, there is bias against Azerbaijan in the information war. The world should know about the crimes committed by Armenia in Azerbaijan, and the Armenian side should take responsibility for these crimes. Armenia must stop the dissemination of false information in the media under its control.”
The journalist stressed that she had witnessed the destruction in Aghdam, Fuzuli and Shusha.
“On the way, we saw settlements turned into ruins. I thought that if these lands belonged to Armenia, it would not have devastated these territories. The cruelty of the Armenian side gives reason to say that the Armenians knew from the very first day that they would surrender them to true owners and leave these lands.”
A well-known journalist said that the picture she faced during her visit to Ganja horrified her: “During our visit to Ganja, it became clear to me that Armenia didn’t limit itself to territorial claims or military goals. Because there were no military facilities, and the city was far from the war zone. Attacking civilians at night, when people are sleeping, is a war crime. I was horrified by the destroyed houses that were hit by rockets. Babies were among the victims that night. I can’t find words to describe the feelings.”
Vargas also shared her impressions of the ongoing reconstruction in the region: “The government of Azerbaijan directed all its efforts to the revival of the region and the return of people to their homeland. During the trip to the Zangilan district, it was nice to see the joy on the faces of people returning to their homes. I hope that during my next visit to Azerbaijan, I will see a new image of Karabakh.”