Was Uribe complicit in a 1997 paramilitary massacre?
Source: Colombia Reports
Was Uribe complicit in a 1997 paramilitary massacre?
Feb 4, 2015 posted by Adriaan Alsema
[font size=1]
What was left of El Aro after the massacre (Photo: Semana)
[/font]
A Medellin court ordered the investigation of former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe for his alleged involvement in a 1997 massacre that has been haunting the former head of state in spite the fact that a number of key witnesses have been murdered or extradited.
According to a court that has been sentencing paramilitary commanders, there is enough evidence to merit an investigation against Uribe who was governor of Antioquia when members of the paramilitary group AUC murdered 14 in El Aro, a village that was burned to the ground after the massacre. The evidence consists of corroborated statements made by former members of the AUC and a local human rights worker who was assassinated months after the massacre.
In a 2006 ruling, the Inter-American Court for Human Rights had already convicted the Colombian state of taking part in the massacre, forcing Bogota to pay compensation to victims and the families of victims. This court established that members of the army’s 4th Division, local police and the governor’s office had either actively taken part or had failed to comply with their constitutional duty to protect the civilian population.
The international court also established that a helicopter belonging to the governor’s office was present during the massacre. Uribe’s Office was also held responsible for failing to provide the most basic assistance to the survivors of the massacre.
Read more: http://colombiareports.co/uribe-complicit-1998-paramilitary-massacre/
[center]
[/center]