South Colombia governor sentenced to 7 years in prison over paramilitary ties

[Judi Lynn]

South Colombia governor sentenced to 7 years in prison over paramilitary ties
by Adam Veitch June 8, 2019

The governor of Caqueta, a province in southern Colombia, has been sentenced to 7 and a half years in jail for conspiring with illegal paramilitary groups.

The sentence also contains a fine totaling 6,500 times the monthly minimum wage.

Governor Alvaro Pacheco represents the Liberal party in the region, and his conviction is set to cause a power struggle in a region profoundly affected by the armed conflict.

. . .

According to a 2017 report by the National Center for Historical Memory, there were three devastating episodes of paramilitary activity in the region over the last 4 decades. The report references how “these paramilitary structures had a large torture/death camp in the town of Puerto Torres…and they carried out acts of terror in the northern region of the department with the aim of capturing the FARC stronghold, which led to a cycle of violence that continues to this day”.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/south-colombia-governor-hit-with-7-year-jail-sentence-over-links-to-paramilitaries/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Colombia report reveals deadly extent of five-decade conflict

Colombia report reveals deadly extent of five-decade conflict
By Helen Murphy
24 July 2013

(Reuters) - Almost a quarter of a million Colombians have been killed over the last 54 years of bloody
strife, most of them civilians, a government-funded report revealed on Wednesday, providing fresh
evidence of the vast scale of human rights violations since hostilities began.

. . .

Colombia's armed forces, backed by billions in U.S. aid, have used better intelligence and logistics over
the last decade to combat the illegal armed groups, pushing their fighters deep into inhospitable jungle
terrain.

. . .

The 400-page study, packed with shocking photos of victims, was conducted in some of Colombia's most
volatile areas, where communities have lived in fear for decades. It details the types of violence used by
each group.

The bloodiest period was between 1985 and 2002, when the paramilitaries formed to defend landowners
and business leaders against rebel attacks. The paramilitaries, known as the United Self-Defense Forces
of Colombia, or AUC, were responsible for some of the most atrocious human rights violations.

Paramilitary groups, guerrillas and members of the armed forces committed 1,982 massacres - defined as
four victims or more - killing 11,751 between 1980 and 2012. The AUC was responsible for the bulk of the
massacres, while guerrillas kidnapped more and were responsible for most attacks against infrastructure.

The study found 4.7 million had been displaced since 1996, 27,023 victims were kidnapped since 1970,
and 1,190 indigenous Indians were killed between 1996 and 2009.

http://www.genocidewatch.org/images/Colombia_2013_07_24_Report_reveals_deadly_extent_of_five-decade_conflict.pdf