An ex-guerrilla known for his slaying.of FARC commander “Ivan Rios” was sentenced to 40 years in prison Wednesday for his role in an attack in 1999 in which 16 people were killed in the department of Antioquia.
Pedro Pablo Montoya, alias “Rojas,” was found guilty by a Bogota judge of aggravated homicide, terrorist crimes, aggravated kidnapping, and rebellion along with other ex-guerrillas.
The attack on the village of Nariño on July 30, 1999 resulted in the deaths of nine policemen and seven civilians while another 16 were wounded. Several houses and shops were destroyed during the siege along with the mayor’s office. The rebels also kidnapped eight police officers in the process.
Rojas made a name for himself in 2008 when he murdered FARC Secretariat Ivan Rios and his girlfriend in their sleep with close-range shots to their heads. He then cut-off Rios’ right hand as proof of the killing and carried it packed in ice before surrendering to the army to claim the bounty.
Rojas is already serving a 31-year sentence in prison for his participation in the kidnapping of a farm owner in 2001.
