A special peace tribunal in Colombia has determined that at least 6,402 people have been murdered by the country’s military and falsely declared war killings to boost statistics on the civil war with left-wing rebel groups. That number is nearly three times higher than the figure previously admitted by the attorney general’s office.
The murders, referred to as the “false positives scandal” in Colombia, took place between 2002 and 2008, when the government waged war on the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (or Farc), a left-wing guerrilla insurgency that eventually made peace with the government. in 2016. Soldiers were rewarded for manipulated kill statistics with perks including free time and promotions.
Part of the 2016 deal included the creation of a special peace tribunal – known by its Spanish initials, JEP to investigate and try crimes committed by all parties to the conflict. On Thursday, the JEP released preliminary results of its investigation into the “false positives” scandal, following the excavation of mass graves across the country over the past two years.
A statement from the JEP confirmed that the investigation will continue and will now target provinces in the country that are not yet a priority in the investigation.
Jackeline Castaño, whose brother was kidnapped and murdered by the military in 2008, believed that justice was getting closer after Thursday’s announcement. While many regular soldiers have been sent to prison and dozens of senior officers fired, victims say those who issued the orders have still not come to justice.
“We are grateful for the publication of the findings of the JEP investigations, which show how widespread extrajudicial killings were during the period of [then-president] Álvaro Uribe, from 2002 to 2008, ”said Castaño, who leads a victim group. “We hope the truth will keep coming out.”
Movice, a collective of victims of crimes committed by the Colombian state, also welcomed the findings of the GEP. “The high rate of these crimes is no surprise,” said a statement by the group, adding that it demonstrates “internal policies” within the military “without any kind of control or sanctions for those responsible.”