Colombia's military suspected of tampering war crime witnesses
by Adriaan Alsema February 18, 2021
Colombia’s war crimes tribunal ordered investigations into the military for allegedly tampering witnesses testifying against former commanders over the mass killing of civilians.
The Special Jurisdiction for Peace formally asked the Prosecutor General’s Office and Inspector General’s Office to investigate witness claims that lawyers provided by the military were telling former soldiers not to incriminate generals “to avoid problems” in 2019 and last year.
One soldier testified that attorneys provided by the Specialized Technical Defense Fund (Fondetec) “told us: what evidence do you have to link [retired] general [Mario] Montoya, the [former] commander of the army. Your situation could be turned upside down.”
Montoya is suspected of being one of the architects of the sinister practice to execute civilians and present them as guerrillas killed in combat that became common under former President Alvaro Uribe.
More:
https://colombiareports.com/colombias-military-suspected-of-tampering-war-crime-witnesses/
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How Colombia’s former army chief is drowning in his own buckets of blood
by Adriaan Alsema June 14, 2019
General Mario Montoya, who former President Alvaro Uribe considers a national hero, is being exposed by his former subordinates as one of the cruelest and most bloodthirsty war criminals in Colombia’s history.
Former military commanders who are testifying before the country’s war crimes tribunal have been painting a picture of a man who would murder pretty much anyone to advance his career.
Why Colombia’s former army chief is facing up to 40 years in prison
One of the latest and most damning testimonies came from former Colonel Gabriel Rincon, the highest-ranking former official who was sentenced to 46 years in prison for his participation in the mass killing of civilians.
Former Colonel Gabriel Rincon
According to Rincon, Montoya told commanders he expected “liters of blood, buckets of blood” after Uribe promoted him commander of the National Army.
The commanders obeyed the orders and reported 2,703 combat kills that year. At least 40% of these deaths which were civilians, according to a prosecution report.
More:
https://colombiareports.com/how-colombias-former-army-chief-is-drowning-in-his-own-buckets-of-blood/
