“False Positive” Convictions Continue

In addition to the conviction of Colonel Luis Fernando Borja last week, eight more members of the Colombian army were convicted and sentenced for their involvement in the “false positives” scandal. The court issued a maximum sentence of 55 years in prison for each man. According to the families of the victims of the civilians murdered, the soldiers and officers should serve time in a regular prison in order to avoid the luxuries and comfortable conditions associated with military detention centers. Unfortunately, prosecuting all those involved in the scandal is seemingly impossible without detailed testimonies because of the disparities between the time of death and the time of prosecution and conviction. Perhaps the most unfortunate is the fact that the Uribe government, which was behind the implementation of the policy that motivated the military to disguise murdered civilians as rebels, is difficult to hold directly responsible for the deaths.

Update prepared by COHA Research Associate Rebecca Gorn