Families of the victims of state crimes committed under the modality known as ‘false positive’ are accusing the Colombian authorities of unnecessary delays and are demanding that the pertinent actions are taken in order to avoid an expiry of terms.
The accusations were made by the mother of one of the civilians killed in Soacha. He was falsely reported as a guerrilla killed in combat, and his body was found two months later in the department of Santander.
The woman, who has remained unidentified, said that the defense team of the soldiers involved is attempting to delay proceedings until the fixed limit for the maximum time allowed for the trial is exceeded, ensuring that the soldiers go free.
Her accusations came after a specialized Bogota judge ordered the adjournment of a hearing due to be held Thursday, after noticing the absence of one of the defense’s lawyers, reported newspaper El Espectador.
In the course of this investigation regarding the Colombian military’s false classification of civilians as guerrillas pot-mortem, in order to boost results, 19 army officials and their subordinates have been charged with the murder of a protected person and aggravated homicide.
This is just one of many legal and disciplinary processes that have been opened against police officers involved in the more than 1,200 extrajudicial ‘false positive’ killings reported in various parts of the country. These acts have been denounced by many multilateral organizations, administrators of justice, and defenders of human rights in Colombia.
