Santos: Military Killed Thousands of Civilians in Colombia

[Judi Lynn]

A handout photo made available by the Truth Commission of Colombia shows former Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos (L) speaking at the Commission for the Clarification of Truth, Coexistence and Non-Repetition, in Bogota, Colombia, 11 June 2021. | Photo: EFE

Published 11 June 2021 (13 hours 55 minutes ago)

Juan Manuel Santos acknowledged Friday that thousands of civilians were executed by the military in Colombia because of the pressure they received to produce results in the fight against the guerrillas

Former president and Nobel Peace Prize winner Juan Manuel Santos acknowledged Friday that thousands of civilians were executed by the military in Colombia because of the pressure they received to produce results in the fight against the guerrillas and asked for forgiveness for those crimes.

"There is not the slightest doubt in my mind that the original sin, what in the end gave rise to these atrocities, was the pressure to produce casualties" as well as "the rewards for achieving it," Santos said in a voluntary statement to the Truth Commission investigating the half-century conflict with the now-defunct FARC.

The commission is an extrajudicial body created under the 2016 peace accords pushed by Santos that led to the disarmament of the rebels.

Santos held power between 2010 and 2018 and previously served as defense minister under Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010), under whose rule thousands of civilian killings were perpetrated and then presented as guerrillas killed in combat.

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https://www.telesurenglish.net/news/Santos-Military-Killed-Thousands-of-Civilians-in-Colombia-20210611-0024.html