A special peace tribunal in Colombia has found that at least 6,402 people have been killed by the country’s army and falsely declared a death knell to advance statistics in the civil war with left-wing rebel groups. The number is almost three times higher than the figure previously acknowledged by the Attorney General’s Office.
The killings, known in Colombia as the ‘false positive scandal’, took place between 2002 and 2008, when the government waged war against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (or FARC), a left-wing guerrilla uprising, which ultimately brought peace. made with the government in 2016. Soldiers were rewarded for manipulating homicide statistics with benefits including time off and promotions.
Included in the 2016 agreement was the creation of a special peace tribunal – known under its Spanish initials, JEP – to investigate and prosecute crimes committed by all sides in the conflict. The JEP on Thursday released the preliminary results of its investigation into the “false positive” scandal, following the excavation of mass graves across the country over the past two years.
A statement from the JEP confirmed that the inquiry would continue, and that it would now focus on provinces in the country that have not yet been prioritized in the inquiry.
Jackeline Castaño, whose brother was abducted and killed by the military in 2008, felt that justice was closer to serving after Thursday’s announcement. While numerous soldiers have been sent to prison and dozens of senior officers have been fired, the victims say those who gave the orders have still not been brought to justice.
“We are grateful for the publication of the findings of the JEP’s investigations which show how widespread executions were carried out during the period of [then-president] Álvaro Uribe, from 2002 to 2008, ”said Castaño, who leads a victim group. “We hope the truth will continue to come out.”
Movice, a collection of crime victims committed by the Colombian state, also welcomed the findings of the JEP. “The high rate of these crimes is not a surprise”, reads a statement from the group, adding that it shows an internal policy ‘within the military’ without any form of control or sanctions for those responsible ‘.