Colombia fined over legalized militia killings

Colombia fined over legalized militia killings
posted by Adriaan Alsema
Dec 4, 2013

Colombia’s Defense Ministry and National Army will have to pay more than $1 million to the families of seven men who were murdered in 1996 by legalized militias, ruled the country’s State Council on Wednesday.

According to the ruling, the army should have but failed to act against the so-called Convivir paramilitary group that forcibly disappeared and presumably assassinated seven men in the village of San Roque, Antioquia.

According to investigations, the seven victims were forced to leave a bus traveling between the towns of San Roque and Puerto Berrio. The multiple cases of forced disappearance and presumed homicide were part of a “social cleansing” campaign employed by the self-defense groups to cleanse society of individuals deemed unwanted.

The victims’ bodies were never found.

While the attorney of the military claimed the responsibility of the crimes were with the group that perpetrated the forced disappearances, the council ruled that the army failed to comply with its obligation to protect citizens from other armed groups.

More:
http://colombiareports.co/colombia-fined-legalized-militia-killings/