More than 13,000 Colombians on trial for ties to illegal armed groups

More than 13,000 Colombians on trial for ties to illegal armed groups
Feb 19, 2015 posted by Rebecca Florey

More than 13,000 cases are currently under way against individuals for allegedly cooperating with paramilitary or guerrilla groups that have been branded terrorist organizations by the government.

Santos made the statement days after former President Cesar Gaviria proposed over the weekend to include civilian actors like businessmen and politicians in a transitional justice program in the event the country’s 50-year conflict with rebel group FARC comes to an end. Gaviria said that “if we want to build peace in Colombia, after a possible agreement with the FARC, we have to think about extending the transitional justice to these all sectors involved in the war, including ‘non-combatants’.”

Santos said that this process of prosecuting ‘non-combatants’ who were involved in the war is important. He explained that leaving these cases open would involve a “high cost for justice, for impunity and for the country.”

Among the alleged civilian actors in the conflict are more than a hundred former congressmen and governors who are suspected of having benefited from paramilitary drug money or intimidation of the electorate.

Former president Alvaro Uribe, current vice-president German Vargas and Santos’ cousin, former vice-President Francisco Santos, have all faced such accusations.

More:
http://colombiareports.co/more-than-13000-colombians-on-trial-for-ties-to-illegal-armed-groups/

(My emphasis.)