Colombian mass graves discovered

[Judi Lynn]

Colombian mass graves discovered
Page last updated at 01:26 GMT, Saturday, 26 September 2009 02:26 UK

Two mass graves connected to Colombia's decades-long internal conflict have been found, officials say.

They say one grave, containing the bodies of 17 peasants, was discovered in a ranch in the north-west belonging to a late far-right militia leader.

The armed forces chief announced the discovery of a second mass grave, which he said held the remains of 16 left-wing Farc guerrillas, in the south.

The Farc have been fighting the Colombian government since the 1960s.

The peasants' bodies were found on a ranch that belonged to paramilitary leader Carlos Castano, who was killed in 2004.

More:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8276038.stm

[Judi Lynn]

1. COLOMBIA: Two mass graves discovered, bodies include nephew of FARC leader

COLOMBIA: Two mass graves discovered, bodies include nephew of FARC leader
September 26, 8:36 AM

Colombian officials have announced the discovery of two mass graves related to the country’s 61 year-old civil war. The graves are estimated to be about 10-12 years old, and were dug by the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (the AUC), a former umbrella group for paramilitaries.

BBC News reported that one grave, found in northwest Colombia, contained the bodies of 17 peasants. It was found on a ranch belonging to a slain AUC leader, Carlos Castaño. According to Associated Press reports, the peasants were believed to have been killed by men under the command of Jesus Ignacio Roldan, alias "Monoleche," a Castaño lieutenant who later participated in his 2004 murder.

The other grave was discovered near La Uribe, a traditional stronghold of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), Colombian General Freddy Padilla announced. He added that FARC fighters had died in fighting in July, and the bodies recovered included that of a nephew of senior FARC commander Jorge Briceño, alias “Mono Jojoy.”

The FARC, a designated terrorist group, has been fighting a guerrilla insurgency against the Colombian government since its inception in 1964.

The AUC was formed in 1997 as an umbrella group for dozens of paramilitary organizations that existed to protect various drug lords’ territory and operations from attacks by leftist groups like the FARC. Contrary to popular belief, the AUC is responsible for the majority of drug-related killings in Colombia.

The AUC was also designated as a terrorist group in 2001, and entered into disarmament talks with the Colombian government in 2003. The group no longer exists in this form, but many of its paramilitary members have joined other criminal organizations.

http://www.examiner.com/x-17196-South-America-Policy-Examiner~y2009m9d26-COLOMBIA-Two-mass-graves-discovered-bodies-include-nephew-of-FARC-leader

[Judi Lynn]

2. Colombia finds 2 mass graves of peasants, rebels

Colombia finds 2 mass graves of peasants, rebels
By LIBARDO CARDONA (AP) – 19 hours ago

BOGOTA — The chief prosecutor's office said Friday it has unearthed the remains of 17 peasants tortured and killed at a ranch that belonged to the since-slain, far-right militia leader Carlos Castano in Colombia's northwest.

In the southern jungles, meanwhile, the Colombian military said it had discovered a mass grave holding 16 rebels believed killed in combat, including a nephew of a top guerrilla commander.

The peasants were believed slain 10 to 12 years ago by men under the command of Jesus Ignacio Roldan, alias "Monoleche," a Castano lieutenant who later participated in the 2004 murder of the right-wing militia leader, the prosecutor's office said in a statement. Castano was apparently killed because he was upset that other militia warlords had turned his anti-guerrilla movement into regional drug-trafficking criminal mafias and they were afraid he would betray them to U.S. drug agents.

All the bodies found at the "La 35" ranch in the Uraba banana-growing region "were dismembered and showed signs of torture," the statement said.

Nibaldo Jimenez, exhumations coordinator in the prosecutor's office for victims of the right-wing paramilitaries, told The Associated Press that his unit has unearthed the remains of 2,570 people since the militias began demobilizing in 2005 under a peace pact with the government. The militias often colluded with members of Colombia's armed forces in a dirty war targeting suspected leftist rebel sympathizers. Prosecutors say demobilized paramilitaries have confessed to more than 25,000 killings.

More:
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gOhwy0Gq9qTnZuoddyvddED5eO1wD9AUKKFG0

[IndianaGreen]

3. How many DUers have said they hate Chavez, but love Uribe?

They are the same people that support the coup in Honduras and accuse the leftist DUers of "whining" and not living in "the real world." The Democratic Party has been infected by Reaganism, and the proof of it lies in the fact the Obama Administration is still following the same imperialist policies as Reagan, despite the President's florid words to the contrary.

[EFerrari]

4. Our media calls Zelaya a radical. Apparently giving a few pennies

to education, raising starvation wages to near starvation level and allowing voters to vote is now radicalism. :crazy:

Regarding Obama, I knew when his first big speech to a Latino group was to CANF that there would be no honeymoon for Latin America.

[Downwinder]

5. Definitions have changed a lot.

When I was growing up,

Conservative meant distinguished, staid, ethical. Now it just means crazy.

[EFerrari]

6. No kidding. My uncles who are old style conservatives

don't even talk politics any more. They must be too embarrassed.