A member of the organization’s negotiating team in Havana and a former field commander, the 64-year-old is seeking election in his native Puerto Berrío, which EL PAÍS visited during the campaign
Many victims in Colombia feel that the FARC are still reluctant to fully own up to many of their atrocities. Especially when it comes to crimes committed against leftist politicians and peasants. The 1986 murder of former Congressman José Cardona Hoyos and the 2004 massacre at La Gabarra illustrate these uncomfortable truths that the transitional justice process has not managed to clarify.
The day of reckoning has finally arrived, between June 21 and 23 in Colombia, when seven former commanders of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) faced their victims in the kidnapping of thousands of people. Following a similar hearing with army officials in April, it was another milestone for the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) and the transitional justice system stemming from Colombia’s 2016 peace deal.
Colombia hears former guerrilla chiefs over mass kidnappings colombiareports.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from colombiareports.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Colombia’s 2016 peace deal was a landmark achievement, convincing the FARC guerrillas to disarm and enter civilian life. Yet much remains to be done to show insurgents that they can redress their grievances through ordinary politics. The country’s leaders should recommit to finishing the job.