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his part in a massacre at a "Peace Community," which is supposed to be protected by the state, as the citizens are seeking sanctuary, and are NEUTRAL, are NOT political. This article, in Spanish is translated by the google translation tool: Sunday August 3, 2008 - updated 2 days ago 37
Captain (r) Army accepted responsibility for his slaughter of San Jose de Apartado
Guillermo Armando Gordillo confessed to the Prosecution their participation in the murder of eight people, including three children.
According to the Prosecution "accepted its responsibility in the crimes of homicide in protected person and conspiracy to commit an offence".
At the slaughter were killed Luis Eduardo Guerra Guerra, his partner Beyanira Areiza, and his son Andrew deyaniera Tuberquía War. Alfonso also died Graciano Bolivar Tuberquia, his wife Sandra Milena Munoz Pozo, and their children Natalia and Santiago, as well as Mr Alejandro Perez.
"The trial today was responsible for the Company's Bolivar Velez Battalion of the XVII Brigade of the Army, and was carrying out the operation against the" Phoenix "in that area," says the Prosecution. http://www.eltiempo.com/colombia/justicia/2008-08-01/capitan-r-del-ejercito-acepto-su-responsabilidad-por-masacre-de-san-jose-de-apartado_4422694-1#~~~~~~~~~~~~~Colombia: Massacres by US Backed Death Squad Government Exposed, Again
topic posted Tue, April 1, 2008
Translation By: Colombia Human Rights Committee (Washington)
March 27, 2008
Arrest warrants issued for 15 members of the military for San José de Apartadó massacre
Translation By: Colombia Human Rights Committee (Washington)
March 27, 2008
Arrest warrants issued for 15 members of the military for San José de Apartadó massacre
For the Office of the Attorney General (the "Fiscalía") it is clear that the action at San José de Apartadó sought to impose fear and terror in the civilians of that community.
The decision was provoked by the testimony of Jorge Luis Salgado, a former paramilitary who accused the soldiers of assassinating, in association with the AUC, the three children and eight adults.
"The children were under the bed. The girl was very nice, 5 or 6 years old, and the little boy was also a curious little one.... We proposed to the commanders to leave them in a neighboring home, but they said that they were a threat, that they would become guerrillas in the future.... 'Cobra' grabbed the girl by the hair and ran the machete through her throat," Salgado, a native of Carepa (Antioquia), told the authorities last January 30.
The massacre in the peace community occurred on February 21, 2005.
That day, the mutilated and decapitated bodies were left in the middle of the jungle and in have-covered graves.
All the victims were members of a group that declared itself neutral in the Colombian armed conflict, and who had been zealously requesting special protection.
Though at first testimony indicated that the persons responsible for these deeds were members of the 17th Army Brigade and men under the command of Diego Murillo, 'Don Berna,' this is the first time that someone who was in the ranks of the executioners has told the story.
"None of us knew where we were arriving at, we only knew that we had to go to the hamlet La Resbalosa and go through the area accompanied by the Army," stated the former paramilitary.
Three second lieutenants involved
His testimony just precipitated several important decisions in this emblematic case that has already come before international courts. .
Twelve days ago, the Fiscalía send a communication to the commander of the Army, Gen. Mario Montoya, in which it asks him to order the appropriate persons to arrest 15 active-duty members of that armed body who in 2005 were assigned to the area where the facts unfolded.
In the letter, the Fiscalía notes that initially the members of the Army will give sworn statements.
But one of the investigators assured EL TIEMPO that their arrest was ordered "because there are sufficient indicia to presume their responsibility in the events in Apartadó."
The list that Gen. Montoya received includes three second lieutenants, four sergeants, and eight corporals.
Already in November 2007, Army Capt. Guillermo Armando Gordillo Sánchez was arrested in connection with these same facts.
The officer, mentioned several times in the record, opted to remain silent throughout the sworn statement taken from him a few months ago.
And although his defense counsel has alleged his complete innocence, the Fiscalía opted to indict him of homicide of a protected person, conspiracy to engage in criminal conduct, and terrorism, as co-perpetrator.
The radio operator of Héroes de Tolová, Adriano José Cano Arteaga, told the Fiscalía that Gordillo's group had gone out to patrol with the paramilitaries on several occasions.
'Cobra' Fell
His testimony and that of Jorge Luis Salgado David made it possible, ten days ago, for a specialized prosecutor to order the arrest of the two former paramilitary chiefs accused of active participation in the massacre.
They are Joel José Vargas Flórez and José Clímaco Falco, alias 'Cobra,' the man who allegedly beheaded five-year-old Natalia.
And while the Fiscalía defines the legal status of the Army members implicated, attorneys for the victims' next-of-kin are seeking access to the testimony of the paramilitaries on the heart-rending events of three years ago.
Salgado David, for example, recalls that the father of the beheaded girl begged on his knees for the children's lives.
In addition, he said that the girl thought she was going on an outing and prepared a change of clothes for her little brother for the trip.
"She waved goodbye with her little hand," the former paramilitary recalled.
And he added that the violence of the attack involved such extreme cruelty that when he came across the corpse of one man, allegedly a guerrilla, he almost vomited.
"He was split, destroyed at the stomach.... You could see his intestines and a white thing. I had just eaten pork, and I felt like vomiting."
Witness protection
Today, paradoxically, Jorge Salgado David, is asking for protection.
One group of demobilized paramilitaries has tried to kill him at least twice because he is refusing to go into the `Águilas Negras,' or `Black Eagles,' the emerging paramilitary group with tentacles throughout the country.
More:
http://tribes.tribe.net/infobunker/thread/568212f2-0575-4685-89c5-77aa176269f1#b9181841-abdc-42aa-8433-5cb290835bc2
Colombia: Ordenan captura de 15 militares por masacre de San José de Apartadó
Por: El Tiempo
Fecha de publicación: 27/03/08
http://www.aporrea.org/internacionales/n111410.html |
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