Colombia’s Prosecutor General’s office reportedly fully identified the
network responsible for the disappearance and murder of eleven Soacha
men. The apparent case of extrajudicial executions caused the largest
military purge in recent Colombian history.
According to Caracol Radio, the PG will start indicting both civilian and military members of the group of suspects no later than February.
Judicial sources told the radio station the authorities aim to avoid any loose ends in the ‘false positives scandal’.
The group is suspected of having kidnapped and murdered the young men to report them as guerrillas killed in combat, using their deaths to make the army’s war against illegal armed groups look more effective.
Several witnesses who have made incriminating testimonies against members of the group are receiving government protection after receiving death threats.
The Soacha murders unleashed a large number of accusations against the Colombian military, forced Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos to recognize the armed forces were guilty of gross human rights violations and sack 27 military officials. The scandal forced army chief Mario Montoya to resign. More than 600 members of the armed forces are reportedly being investigated for the murder of civilians.
