UN: Prosecute those responsible for the controversial military operation in Colombia

The representative of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia demanded yesterday Wednesday (13/4) that those responsible for “be tried” military operation in late March that killed eleven peopleamong them at least four civilians, who were later presented by the government as rebels killed in battle.

“We recommend that all disciplinary and criminal measures be taken to prosecute and punish those responsible for the events that took place in Alto Remanzo,” said Juliet de Rivero, a spokeswoman for the UNHCR. UN for Human Rights.

On March 29, his men army They raided this community, on the border with Ecuador and Peru, in the prefecture of Putumayo (southeast), where a three-day trade fair was taking place with the participation of about a hundred inhabitants.

According to Ms De Rivero, the military operation had an account “Eleven dead and five wounded”. The army “used firearms while 30 to 50 people were in the open market, including women and children,” he added.

The ombudsman’s office, the human rights NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) and indigenous organizations say at least four civilians were among the victims: a minor, an indigenous ruler, a community leader and his pregnant wife.

In early April, Colombian government calls military operation “legal” and accuses victims of being insurgents of former Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC)who rejected the 2016 peace agreement.

“It was a legitimate operation, which was planned for more than five months based on information from the intelligence services,” Defense Minister Diego Molano told the press.

According to the Minister of Defense, the so-called guerrillas “intimidate and threaten” in this community that counts, according to him, “over 220,000 acres” of coca crops, the plant whose leaves are the raw material in the process of cocaine production.

The UN also demanded that authorities guarantee the protection of eyewitnesses and journalists – some of whom have received threats after publishing reports and articles on the case.

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (ECHR), for its part, called for an investigation into the incident and demanded that the state avoid “stigmatizing victims.”


Source: News Beast

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