Despite reports from soldiers involved, stories from the families of the missing and the murdered, and investigations by the authorities into extrajudicial killings, some continue to question the truth of these events.
German Ayala Osorio*
Some are not only denying the events but are even desecrating the tributes made to honour victims, calling them “false positives”. Mourners, particularly mothers, find their attitude offensive.
Counted among these perpetrators is member of the House Miguel Polo, who posted a video stating that he would put the boots placed in Rafael Núñez square in a rubbish bag.
Mothers of the victims had placed these there as a symbol, a kind of memorial for the relatives of mistaken guerillas who were killed in combat.
In the South American nation it is documented that those responsible for these deaths put botas pantaneras (bog boots) like those used by the insurgents, on their victims to suggest that they were legitimate combat deaths, hence the symbolism of displaying the boots as an act to demand amends and put an end to this. Following Polo’s video, the national transitional justice body, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (SJP), called for respect for the victims’ families: “The SJP denounces the hateful treatment of the Mothers of Soacha’s symbolic and artistic tributes in the Rafael Núñez square in the National Capital. The SJP upholds the dignity of these mothers who are fighting for truth and justice for their children who are missing, murdered and falsely presented as victims of combat.”
But Congressman Polo Polo is not the only one denying this atrocity. A subsequent event revealed that more than one Colombian has this denial attitude. In response to certain demonstrations by members of the Democratic Centre party (Centro Democrático; CD), founded by former president Álvaro Uribe, the SJP sent a letter asking the leader of that political group, Gabriel Vallejo, to issue guidelines to his members to avoid accusations that would re-victimise mourners.
In this letter, the court pointed out that statements made about the aforementioned events are not opinions, as some members of the CD made it seem, but statements. The letter the organisation sent also documented part of the testimonies given by soldiers of different ranks which reveals the way they were pressured to carry out killings.
It is known that some army officers regulated the requirements to bestow the medal of distinguished service. These stipulated a certain number of killings or captures. “Killed in combat” was worth three times that of a capture. Innocent bystanders were therefore captured and killed under the pretence that they were guerrillas.
To date, the SJP estimates 6,402 victims of extrajudicial killings in the country between 2002 and 2008, 1,934 of whom were identified last week.
*German Ayala Osorio: Colombian writer, journalist, with a Ph D in Sustainable Regions, political scientist and professor, author of the blog La Otra Tribuna.
(Translated by Natasha Greenidge – Email: natashagreenidge1@gmail.com) – Photos: Pixabay
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