Colombian Justice and Peace condemns twelve military officials for 135 instances of 'false positives'
In a significant development, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) in Colombia has handed down a verdict against twelve military personnel, sentencing them to eight years of restorative penalties for the murder of 135 civilians, known as 'false positives'. These crimes were mainly committed between 2006 and 2008 during the tenure of former President Álvaro Uribe.
The sentenced individuals were part of the La Popa Battalion, based in Valledupar, Colombia between 2002 and 2005. The investigation has linked these twelve military personnel to the 'illegal killings and forced disappearances' of 135 people between 2002 and 2005 in the departments of Cesar and La Guajira in Caribbean Colombia.
The term 'false positives' is used in Colombia to refer to the 6,402 civilians who were killed, in collusion with paramilitary groups, by security forces and passed off as guerrillas. The crimes were committed to create a false sense of military success against drug trafficking and armed groups.
The sentencing is part of the 2016 Havana peace agreements, which aimed to bring justice to victims of the armed conflict in Colombia. However, no information about the current status or identities of the sentenced military personnel is provided in the article.
Meanwhile, the former high command of the FARC guerrilla, one of the main armed groups in the conflict, has acknowledged their responsibility for the kidnapping of 21,000 people over almost six decades during the armed conflict in Colombia. The work includes participation in the construction, repair, and maintenance of infrastructure in affected areas, a mausoleum for the victims, and a cultural and memory center for the indigenous Wiwa community.
On a different note, Russia has assured that Japan's latest sanctions 'will receive a response'. The Kremlin has confirmed the resignation of a Putin aide who fell from grace for criticizing the war in Ukraine. Some of the sentenced military personnel will serve shorter repair periods after their prison terms have been commuted.
In contrast, there are no publicly available details identifying specific military personnel from the La Popa Battalion stationed in Valledupar between 2002 and 2005 who have not been charged in connection to the deaths of 135 so-called 'False positives'. The practices of crimes involving 'false positives' were fueled by decorations and economic rewards offered by the Government in exchange for achieving good results.
The JEP has also imposed alternative sanctions on the former high command of the FARC guerrilla, but no information about their current status or identities is provided in the article. The crimes involving 'false positives' in Colombia were mainly committed in alliance and connivance with the now-defunct United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).
This verdict marks a significant step towards justice for the victims of the 'false positives' in Colombia, a case that has long been a source of controversy and human rights concerns. The restorative penalties imposed on the sentenced military personnel are intended to restore the integrity of the victims and promote accountability for these heinous crimes.
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