The Central General Staff (EMC) of the extinct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) publicly assumed responsibility for the murder of three indigenous adolescents on the border between the departments of Putumayo and Caquetá.
In a statement released by the media, the so-called ‘Iván Mordisco’ dissidents assured that the three young minors – not four, as reported in the press – “were executed”.
The attribution of these deaths occurs after Colombian President Gustavo Petro announced the suspension of the bilateral ceasefire and the reactivation of offensive operations against that dissident bloc in four departments.
“They were not recruited by force”
As explained in the text, the adolescents “were not recruited by force,” which is why they maintain that they voluntarily joined that guerrilla group.
Regarding their condition as minors, the dissidents affirmed that they were “of the age required by international humanitarian law for the recruitment of combatants”, that is, at least 15 years old.
After learning about this massacre, the Public Ministry announced that it had assigned a special group of prosecutors and investigators to clarify what happened. The accusing entity handles the figure of four indigenous minors belonging to the Murui Amazonian indigenous people.
In the same way, groups defending the rights of native peoples and organizations in favor of peace have expressed their repudiation for these homicides.
In a statement released by the High Commissioner for Peace, the National Network of Citizen Initiatives for Peace and Against War (REDEPAZ) asserted that what happened “disproves” an armed actor whose insurgent character has been recognized by the Government, in through the conversations that have not started yet.
This NGO affirmed that with this action, the FARC dissidents “assure a hard blow to the dreams of peace of the Colombian people.”
“The enemy seeks to take advantage”
In the letter, the EMC asserted that “the enemy seeks to take advantage of the vulnerability of the native peoples” and therefore “infiltrates” the guerrilla camps to “demoralize”, “co-opt militants” and “violate” their statutes.
According to this armed group, with whom Petro had agreed a ceasefire last December, external factors induce indigenous guerrillas to “commit serious crimes,” such as the location of camps, commanders, and other intelligence operations, to “create an environment of combat in the area and continue with the dirty campaign.
“We will assume our responsibility, acknowledging the mistakes made and assuming clear commitments for reparation with the communities,” says the letter, referring to the groups originating from the Amazon region.
Although it was these deaths that precisely caused the suspension of the ceasefire, the dissidents of ‘Iván Mordisco’ express in the text their “iron commitment to fight for peace with social justice.”
Beginning of the dialogue in we will see
Despite the fact that the EMC had announced that the dialogue with the government delegation would begin in mid-May, this did not happen. In this regard, the High Commissioner for Peace explained that some arrest warrants for the members of the guerrilla group delegation had not been lifted, which prevented them from sitting at the negotiating table.
In the same way, the mechanisms to guarantee the participation of communities, social organizations and other unions in the rapprochement process have not yet been polished, reports El Espectador.
Faced with these delays, the EMC issued a statement last week in which it asserted that the peace table with the Government was in a “dangerous lethargy”, amid its denunciations of non-compliance with the ceasefire by security forces. security, for which they held the president responsible.
UN statement
The high commissioner of the United Nations Organization (UN) for Human Rights, Volker Türk, stated that the lifting of the ceasefire should be seen as “a temporary setback,” according to El Espectador.
“I think that everyone who knows Colombia knows how difficult this process is and how difficult it will continue to be,” said the official from Geneva. However, Türk expressed his confidence that the government “will do everything in its power to resolve this situation.” with RT