Page 12 - ARUBA TODAY

A12 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 28 May 2019

New evidence links Colombia army chief to civilian slayings

By JOSHUA GOODMAN vestigations. He said it was
Associated Press up to judicial authorities to
BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) evaluate the value of the
— New evidence has documents bearing his sig-
emerged linking the em- nature but that during his
battled head of Colom- time at the 10th Brigade he
bia’s army to the alleged had no involvement or re-
cover-up of civilian killings sponsibility in combat oper-
more than a decade ago. ations, instead performing
The documents, provided a purely administrative role.
to The Associated Press “I always have been and
by a person familiar with will be ready to answer any
an ongoing investigation questions by authorities,”
into the extrajudicial kill- he said.
ings, come as Gen. Nica- Vivanco said it’s no surprise
cio Martínez Espinel faces Martínez isn’t under inves-
mounting pressure to resign tigation given authorities’
over orders he gave troops willingness to turn a blind
this year to step up attacks eye to the responsibility of
in what some fear could top commanders in the kill-
pave the way for a return ing spree. While Colombi-
of serious human rights vio- an courts have convicted
lations. hundreds of low-ranking
Colombia’s military has In this Dec. 17, 2018 file photo, Army Commander Gen. Nicacio Martinez Espinel, right, salutes soldiers for their roles in the
been blamed for as many during a swearing-in ceremony for the new military and police commanders, in Bogota, Colombia. “false positive” murders,
as 5,000 extrajudicial killings Associated Press not a single general and
at the height of the coun- group revealed that then because they fear retalia- to combat with purported only a handful of coronels
try’s armed conflict in the Col. Martínez Espinel certi- tion. Some of the rewards, guerrillas on May 20 — have so far been con-
mid-2000s as troops under fied payments to an infor- which never exceeded three days later — in which victed. Under international
pressure by top command- mant who led to “excel- $500, went to supposed an unidentified “no name” law, commanders can be
ers inflated body counts, lent results” in a purported informants whose names male was reported killed held responsible for crimes
in some cases dressing up combat operation in which and IDs didn’t match. In possessing a grenade and carried out by subordinates
civilians as guerrillas in ex- an indigenous civilian and two cases, judicial investi- pistol. that they knew about or
change for extra pay and 13-year-old girl were killed. gators found the real ben- “A decade ago, soldiers should have known about.
other perks. A court later convicted two eficiary was soldier Oscar across Colombia lured civil- Now there are reports that
What became known as soldiers of abducting them Alfonso Murgas, who would ians to remote locations un- Martínez Espinel as army
the “false positives” scan- from their home, murdering go on to be sentenced der false pretenses — such chief is looking to reinstate
dal has cast a dark shad- them and putting weapons to 40 years for his role in a as with promises of work — the policies that critics say
ow over the U.S.-backed on their bodies so they ap- third, unrelated civilian kill- killed them, placed weap- led to the executions.
military’s record of battle- peared to be rebels. ing. One hidden recipient ons on their lifeless bodies, The New York Times report-
ground victories. Fifteen Martínez Espinel at the time was a former paramilitary and then reported them as ed recently that Martínez
years later not a single top of the report said he had commander sentenced to enemy combatants killed Espinel commanded troops
commander has been held “no idea” if he had made 15 years for extortion. in action,” said José Miguel to double the number of
accountable for the slay- the payments. “God and In another inconsistency, Vivanco, Americas direc- leftist guerrillas and crimi-
ings. Human Rights Watch my subalterns know how on two occasions Martínez tor at Human Rights Watch. nals they kill, capture or
in February harshly criticized we’ve acted,” he said. Espinel vouched for infor- “One can’t help wonder if force to surrender in com-
President Ivan Duque’s ap- But new documents from mation leading to fighting any of the cockades in their bat. The new guidelines,
pointment of Martínez Es- Colombia’s prosecutor’s that the same documents uniforms, or the promotions made in writing at the start
pinel, noting that he was office show that Martínez show took place days lat- throughout ‘successful’ ca- of Martínez Espinel’s tenure
second-in-command of Espinel in 2005 signed off on er. Such was the case for reers, corresponds to the as army chief in January,
the 10th Brigade in north- at least seven other ques- a payment made on May murder of innocent civilians raised concerns among
east Colombia during years tionable payments . The 17, 2005 to an unnamed committed over a decade unnamed officers cited by
for which prosecutors have documents were provided informant and which bears ago.” Martínez Espinel in a the Times about the height-
opened investigations into to the AP by someone on Martínez Espinel’s signa- statement said he faces no ened risk of civilian causali-
23 illegal killings . The rights the condition of anonymity ture. The payment refers criminal or disciplinary in- ties. q

4 police killed, others wounded in Mexico gang attack

Associated Press The office said three officers died Those are the Spanish initials of the Municipal police are relatively
MEXICO CITY (AP) — Four police in the attacks in the city of Zamora, violent Jalisco New Generation lightly armed and are less well-
officers were killed and seven oth- and Mayor Martin Samaguey later Cartel. paid and trained than their federal
ers wounded in gang attacks in said a fourth had died of wounds A video posted on social media and state police colleagues.
western Mexico, according to lo- suffered in the shootings. around the time of the attack In many towns, they have been
cal officials, and two bystanders The prosecutors’ office did not showed a convoy of pickup trucks corrupted by drug gangs.
were being treated for wounds. identify which gang was behind and SUVs, apparently about two “These have been difficult times,”
The Michoacan state prosecutors’ the attack in the city of Zamora. dozen, all with “CJNG” neatly Samaguey wrote in a statement.
office said attackers opened fire However, prosecutors said one of painted on their doors or sides. “We have been urgently request-
on one patrol vehicle and then the attackers’ trucks had been The dead and seven of the wound- ing assistance from state and fed-
twice ambushed reinforcements found and local media published ed were municipal police, who in eral authorities, while working with
that were sent in to help on Sun- photos of the pickup with the let- most parts of Mexico rarely play a whatever we have and doing
day. ters “CJNG” on its door. front-line role against drug cartels. whatever we possibly can.”q