MADRID, Nov. 29 (EUROPA PRESS) –
Members of the Colombian Comunes party, created after the peace agreement with the extinct Colombian guerrilla group FARC, have recognized this Monday their responsibility for the kidnappings carried out within the framework of the Colombian armed conflict.
“The group of those appearing, members of the extinct FARC-EP guerrilla, have recognized the kidnapping as an event that should never have occurred in the Colombian internal armed conflict and that caused deep pain to the victims and their families,” reads the Press release belonging to the signatories of the peace agreement and published by Comunes.
“Our unrestricted and unwavering commitment is to continue complying with the Peace Agreement, contributing to the truth, repairing the damage caused to the victims and society,” the letter continues.
In this sense, the signatories of the peace agreement have shown themselves to be “deeply committed to the victims,” whom they admit to admiring “their generosity and courage” in going before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in search of truth and justice.
“Today we can only express our pain and shame for the actions that, within the framework of the war, affected thousands of families who had to face the scourge of kidnapping, a wrong policy and contrary to the values of our revolutionary causes,” they have insured former members of the FARC.
Thus, those appearing have highlighted that this resolution shows their own “materialized disposition”: “It is an important advance in the consolidation of peace”, they have indicated, before emphasizing that “it is the first time in Colombia that an armed actor assumes this commitment and acknowledges its responsibility for events that occurred in the war”.
In addition, they have affirmed that they will participate “in all pertinent actions to find the whereabouts of people reported missing,” as well as “those who unjustly suffered from kidnapping and other undignified treatment.”
To this is added that they will lead the humanitarian demining mission in the territories affected by antipersonnel mines, the statement added.
The members of the ex-guerrilla have spoken after hearing the conclusions of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) on the sentences that must be imposed on the members of the FARC, requesting between five and eight years in prison for the accused.
The Fundacion Defensa de Inocentes, which brings together former FARC hostages from Valle de Cauca, has assured that the JEP’s conclusion “does not correspond to reality” and “has caused great disappointment among the victims.”
“On behalf of the victims we represent (…) we reiterate our deep disappointment at this decision by the JEP,” they stated, noting that the victims have “made all their contributions to forgive their perpetrators,” while they continue without ” know the full truth.”
“We are talking about extremely serious crimes committed by members of the FARC Secretariat, such as the kidnapping and massacre of the Valle deputies; and in this case, in which the Fundacion Defensa de Inocentes participates as a representative of victims, we have to express that there has not been a detailed, full and exhaustive truth on the part of the ex-members,” reads the organization’s statement.
The victims have criticized that there have been half-truths, manipulation of the truth. “It has been an exhausting legal fight to prevent the perpetrators from lying and rendering rigged and manipulated versions,” they have assured.
The Foundation has regretted these actions, which “in any case offend the dignity of the victims, who, in addition to enduring the murder of their loved ones, have had to listen to lies and incomplete and distorted versions of the events that victimized them.”
“It hurts us that a peace agreement, which filled Colombia with expectations and which has positive elements such as the claim and delivery of land to peasants and displaced persons, but, in terms of JEP, we reiterate, there is complete inequality and violation to all the rights of the victims”, they have expressed.
Likewise, the foundation has announced that, due to their disagreement, they will step aside from the JEP. “The victims feel disappointed, so we decided to step aside. In the JEP we are not going to find justice,” they criticized.
“We do not believe in the justice that the JEP is imparting and we invite all the victims of Colombia who are waiting for justice in the JEP to not continue lending themselves to this unfortunate mockery of their rights,” the group of former hostages has settled.
