The Pueblo Bello Massacre
For over 40 years, Colombia has been embroiled in an armed conflict in which the security forces and paramilitaries, backed by the army, have been fighting guerrilla groups (in particular FARC) for territory and economic resources. Over the past 20 years this has cost the lives of more than 70 000 people, mainly civilians, and has led to the displacement of over three million people within the country. Tens of thousands of civilians have been tortured, have "disappeared" or been kidnapped. It is the paramilitary groups, supported by the army, who are responsible for the majority of murders, "disappearances" and acts of torture, whilst the guerrillas are behind most of the political kidnappings.
President Uribe has begun a process of demobilising illegal armed groups which was officially supposed to be completed by the end of 2005, but which seems to have had the inverse effect of strengthening the paramilitary phenomenon and allowing those responsible for some of the worst atrocities to continue to kill, to cause people to "disappear" and to torture with impunity. The "Justice and Peace" law, which was supposed to regulate these demobilisation operations, does not respect the victims' and their families' right to the truth, justice and compensation. It guarantees drastically reduced prison sentences for "demobilised" members of illegal armed groups but does not ask them for anything in return. Those who refuse to tell the truth about the crimes they have committed are treated with the same indulgence. The law strengthens the impunity not only of the paramilitaries, but also of the members of the public forces who support them, as in the case of the Pueblo Bello massacre.
For 14 years the families of the 43 peasants kidnapped, tortured and assassinated by a paramilitary group in the small village of Pueblo Bello with the blatant support of elements of the army, have been trying to find out the truth about what happened to their relatives and demanding justice. Judicial enquiries have established that 60 people participated in the massacre and that the two paramilitary trucks transporting the victims managed to cross at least two army roadblocks when leaving the village without once being challenged.
The 43 hostages were taken to the estate of the paramilitary leader Fidel Castaño where they were interrogated under torture. Some weeks before, guerrillas had stolen 43 head of cattle from this landowner and had not been denounced by the villagers. 43 villagers were sacrificed in retaliation. Most of the corpses, which were thrown into communal graves, were never found. Only six people were sentenced for their participation in these crimes in connection with the identification of six of the victims. Only two of those sentenced are still in prison. The army, which denies any involvement, has never been held to account for its complicity.
More:
http://fiacat.org/en/spip.php?article483 
Printer-friendly format
Email this thread to a friend
Bookmark this thread
(1000+ posts)
Send PM |
Profile |
Ignore
