Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Tuesday criticized the Victims Law proposed by current President Juan Manuel Santos for offering the same compensation to victims of the state as to victims of illegal groups.
Uribe argued that there should be “differentiation” between reparations received by victims of guerrillas and paramilitaries, and those affected by state violence.
Uribe also expressed concern about where funding for the extensive program will come from.
The former leader insisted, however, that “my intention is to help the government of President Santos with his legislative agenda. That is my greatest priority: that the legislative agenda of President Santos is successful. “
Santos presented his Victims Law to the Colombian Congress on September 27. The bill sets out a process of reparation and assistance for the more than 4 million Colombians affected by the country’s armed conflict.
Santos personally attended the Congress session to show the government’s commitment to the victims, and asked representatives to earmark more than $22 billion in the next ten years for the financial compensation.
The original Victims Law, which included victims of state violence, was proposed by the Liberal Party but was not ratified by Congress. An adaptation of the law, excluding victims of state agents, was approved in 2009.
