Captain admitted the Colombian Army partecipation to the San Jose Apartado massacre.

4.06.08

Alessandro Boafede
IPO – International Peace Observatory.

Captain Guillermo Armando Gordillo Sánchez admitted the participation of Colombian Army in the 2005 massacre that took place in the peace community of San Jose Apartado.

On the 21st February 2005 eight civilians including three children were murdered and dismembered in San José de Apartadó. Their bodies were found later dumped in shallow graves. Official government sources alleged that it was the fault of the FARC, however it has now come to light that it was in fact the consequence of a joint military – paramilitary opperation. The capitain disclosed that troops of the 17th Brigade were working together with paramilitary troops, when the massacre took place. According to the captain in declarations published by the newspaper “El Tiempo” 100 soldiers and 50 para soldiers took part in the military operation and “it was long since planned with high commanding officers“. Captain Gordillo, who has been under arrest since November 2007, only started his collaboration with Colombian courts on Monday 12 May and his declarations have jeopardizeg high ranking military officials of which include a General, a Colonel and a Major, for which the Colombian courts are already seeking their arrest. Captain Gordillo started his revalations 4 day after the paramilitary boss “Don Berna” admitted that his troops acted with the complicity of Colombian Army. however soon after “Don Berna” was extradited to USA with 14 paramilitary boss and investigation stopped. Furthermore, before the extradition of the paramilitaries, Captain Gordillo to brought his statements to an end. The captain denies the direct participation of the Colombian Army in murdering the civilians, affirming that “Brigade 17 didn’t fire, not even a shot”. The execution and dismemberment of the civilians were carried out by paramilitaries troops and commanded by paramilitary boss known by his alias as “ 44”, which elements of the Colombian Army met that same morning.

Read more Denuncias

International Peace Observatory  |  Observatorio Internacional de la Paz  |  Bogotá, Colombia  |  NIT: 900.013.419-3

www.peaceobservatory.org  |  info@peaceobservatory.org  |  Telefax: (+57) 1 232 10 06   |  Móvil: (+57) 314 296 47 69