Latin America

Judi Lynn

(160,621 posts) Wed Jun 24, 2015, 08:30 PM Jun 2015

Group Seeks Prosecution of Colombian Senior Military Over Civilian Slayings

Group Seeks Prosecution of Colombian Senior Military Over Civilian Slayings

Human Rights Watch says generals not held accountable for so-called ‘False Positives’ killings

By
Kejal Vyas
Updated June 24, 2015 7:30 p.m. ET

Senior serving and former military officers in Colombia who allegedly had sanctioned thousands of extrajudicial killings of civilians during the country’s brutal civil conflict haven’t been held accountable and should be prosecuted, Human Rights Watch says.

Many of those officers, instead, have moved up the ranks, a report from the rights group says, adding that investigations by Colombian prosecutors have been challenged by lack of cooperation from military authorities and by threats and attacks on witnesses. A spokeswoman at Colombia’s Defense Ministry declined to comment on Wednesday.

The report drew condemnation from President Juan Manuel Santos, who said it was smearing the names of top military officials without evidence. “That’s no way to be watching for the respect of human rights,” said Mr. Santos, who denied there were open investigations into high-ranking army officials.

The deaths occurred largely between 2002 and 2008, Colombian prosecutors say, adding that they are investigating military leaders for more than 3,000 killings during the height of U.S.-backed former President Álvaro Uribe’s campaign to quash the Marxist guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces, or FARC. He also targeted cocaine cartels.

More:
http://www.wsj.com/articles/group-seeks-prosecution-of-colombian-senior-military-over-civilian-slayings-1435186326

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Group Seeks Prosecution of Colombian Senior Military Over Civilian Slayings (Original Post) Judi Lynn Jun 2015 OP

Comments by Patrick Leahy, from the report: Judi Lynn Jun 2015 #1

Judi Lynn

(160,621 posts)

1. Comments by Patrick Leahy, from the report:

Reply to Judi Lynn (Original post)

Wed Jun 24, 2015, 08:40 PM

Jun 2015

Colombia has been the recipient of nearly $10 billion in U.S. aid over the past 15 years. “We are reviewing the Human Rights Watch’s most recent report on Colombia now,” said U.S. State Department spokeswoman Julia Straker, speaking from Washington.

. . .

Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, who pushed to include human rights conditions in U.S. foreign aid, on Wednesday said he was deeply troubled by the report. “It shows that as we provided billions of dollars in aid to the Colombian army over many years, its troops systematically executed civilians,” he said. “Worse yet, the officers who were in charge have escaped justice.”

Human Rights Watch in its report cites the case of Nixon de Jesus Cárcamo, a former soldier talking to prosecutors about illegal killings in 2007 in which he had been involved. Mr. Cárcamo was found dead in a military detention center in the northern state of Cordoba in October 2014.

An autopsy declared the death a homicide by asphyxiation. Eleven days before his death, according to the Attorney General’s case filings, Mr. Cárcamo told prosecutors he feared for his life: “In the detention center there are rumors that my life is in danger because I’m cooperating with the justice system.”

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