Cauca’s ombudsman will investigate the case of an indigenous man found dead wearing a guerrilla uniform, which local community leaders claim is a “false positive” killing by the army, according to local media reports.
Indigenous villager Anderson Daugua was found shot to death and “strangely” dressed in FARC garb, Caracol reports after speaking to the official. Indigenous leaders in the area say he was not part of the rebel group.
The body was reportedly found after a battle over the weekend between the army and the FARC in a rural area of Caloto, in the south-western department of Cauca.
This confrontation, which lasted 24 hours, left seven guerrillas and two soldiers dead, reports El Pais.
Ombudsman Victor Armando Melendez told Caracol Radio that he is investigating the case.
The term “false positive” refers to a scandal in which some members of the armed forces were revealed to have murdered civilians and dressed them in guerrilla uniforms to increase kill counts.
“We reject both the security forces and illegal groups who defile with cruelty our territory massacring men, women and children and making others disappear,” said leader of the Association of Indigenous Communities of Northern Cauca (ACIN) Feliciano Valencia, reports El Pais.
Defense Minister Rodrigo Rivera denied that the case was a false positive, and said that he had confidence in the professionalism of the soldiers.
This particular region, mostly populated with indigenous peoples, has been the site of much violence due to combat between the Colombian army and the rebels.
In May of 2010 the indigenous population in the area demanded the eviction of armed forces which they said were disrupting the peace of the region.
