Colombian Protection Minister Ivan Velasquez really stands towards family relations away from 19 individuals who was in fact wrongly and you will fatally presented because the guerrillas when you look at the country’s municipal battle.
Colombia’s regulators given a long-anticipated personal apology Monday into the extrajudicial killings off 19 civilians who were slain by the military and you will joined because the rebel fighters throughout one of the most criminal attacks of one’s nation’s civil war.
The fresh new apology appear because Colombia’s authorities tries to generate amends that have teams influenced by ages out of armed argument and you may broker tranquility profit which have push back organizations which can be nonetheless fighting the fresh army into the rural areas even with a great 2016 serenity package between the regulators and state’s largest break the rules category.
“Such [killings] should have never happened,” Coverage Minister Ivan Velasquez told you from the a conference in front of the country’s congress attended from the victims’ nearest and dearest.
“We request you to forgive all of us for those crimes you to embarrass us ahead of the community,” Velasquez told you in the a speech. The newest killings occurred between 2004 and 2008 because the Colombia’s army intense their strategy resistant to the Leading edge Military away from Colombia – this new push back classification you to made serenity on the bodies for the 2016.
The new killings inside it younger men of terrible communities who had been lured regarding their homes which have incorrect claims out-of jobs in other areas. When they come to their tourist attractions, the fresh victims was basically decide to try by troops whom outfitted the corpses into the camouflage or place guns next to their health and you may exhibited all of them to their superiors as the rebels murdered when you look at the combat so you can secure offers and you can trips time.
Courts into the Colombia was indeed ordering the us government so you’re able to apologize getting these types of instances – understood right here since the “false advantages” – since the 2015, as an element of some reparation methods that also incorporated jail sentences for most of your troops and officers involved.
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Colombia’s government additionally the National Liberation Army, or ELN, has formally going a six-month quit-fire as part of a pleasure plan.
Nevertheless the administrations of presidents Juan Manuel Santos and you will Ivan Duque got skirted within requests so you can apologize in public places as they was indeed reluctant to keep in mind that, during the state’s equipped dispute, brand new military had the amount of time conflict criminal activities exactly as really serious once the those people done-by push back communities, told you Gimena Sanchez, good Colombia professional in the Washington Work environment into Latin America, a person liberties classification.
Sanchez told you the brand new has just picked government from Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s earliest leftist president, has been a lot more prepared to work together having evaluation into the battle crimes, and additionally the individuals done by Unique Legislation for Serenity, a good transformation justice program created by the newest 2016 peace bargain.
“This is exactly equally important into the victims’ family members,” Sanchez said. “Those people nearest and dearest had to deal with the stigma away from purportedly becoming friends from guerrillas.”
According to Unique Jurisdiction to own Peace, Colombia’s military the full time about 6,402 extrajudicial killings between 2002 and you can 2008, because commanders pressured their soldiers to add a whole lot more performance into the battleground and you can put an emphasis to your enhancing the number of enemy casualties.
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Brand new comfort tribunal has just energized an old frontrunner out of Colombia’s armed forces to your murders off 130 civilians anywhere between 2002 and 2003 inside the Antioquia province.
Due to the fact friends thanked Velasquez for carrying on case and you may issuing an apology, really told you these were perhaps not willing to forgive.
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As well as said those who is apologizing to them may be the political figures who were best Colombia when the murders from their family unit members took place, in addition to Santos, who was simply Colombia’s defense minister between 2006 and 2009.
“Santos must be the individual that reveals their face here and you may requests forgiveness,” said Florinda Hernandez, whoever child Elkin was slain by armed forces for the . “Do not wanted which to happen again, and in addition we will still be looking to justice into murders from thus many people.”
Santos apologized to help you subjects of “not the case masters” in 2021, during a listening having Colombia’s details percentage which had been stored behind closed gates. The previous president said he felt “strong guilt” toward killings from civilians and you may added that he added evaluation one to aided to get rid of the newest habit.