Political situation in Colombia

  

Military parade in the capital Bogota in May 2023. Fernando Vergara / AP 

 

Political situation in Colombia  

Colombia apologizes to relatives of murdered civilians  

 

The Colombian military has issued an official apology for killing thousands of civilians in the fighting against the left-wing Farc guerrillas, the BBC reports. Between 2002 and 2008, over 6,000 people are said to have been falsely portrayed as rebel members and then executed.  

 

The purpose was to give the impression that the military defeated the guerrillas and, according to AFP, soldiers must have been rewarded in the form of days off, for example, for carrying out the executions. Several have testified that they were pressured by their superiors.  

 

The victims were mostly men from Bogota and poor areas outside the capital. They were lured with work and some are said to have then been dressed in guerilla clothing before they were executed. 

 

Picture from peace ceremony 2016. Fernando Vergara / Ap  

 

Relatives: The fight is not over - must find the guilty parties 

 

Relatives of several civilians executed by Colombia's military between 2002 and 2008 believe the official apology, which came Wednesday, should have come sooner.  

 

Relatives of 19 victims were present and they believe that the then president Álvaro Uribe should have been present. Jackelin Castillo, who leads a group for relatives, says the "fight" for redress is not over.  

 

- We will continue to look for the culprits, those who gave orders to commit these crimes, she says according to the BBC. 

 

An investigation has shown that over 6,000 civilians were falsely portrayed as members of the Farc guerrillas and then executed.