WEEKLY NEWS UPDATE ON THE AMERICAS
ISSUE #577, FEBRUARY 18, 2001
NICARAGUA SOLIDARITY NETWORK OF GREATER NEW YORK
339 LAFAYETTE ST., NEW YORK, NY 10012
(212) 674-9499 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
*8. COLOMBIA: GENERAL GETS OFF EASY
On Feb. 12, a Colombian military court sentenced retired general
Jaime Uscategui to 40 months in jail for failing to prevent the
July 1997 massacre of at least 22 people by rightwing
paramilitaries in Mapiripan, Meta department. The court also
dismissed Col. Hernan Orozco from the military and sentenced him
to 38 months in prison for "failing to insist" that a superior
officer send troops. Uscategui and Orozco were fined $5,000 and
$6,300 respectively. Air Force Commander Hector Velasco, who
presided over the military tribunal, said local residents had
warned Uscategui of the impending attack. The conviction is the
first time Colombian military officers have been found guilty for
links to rightwing paramilitary groups. [Agence France Presse
2/13/01; Reuters 2/13/01; Human Rights Watch 2/13/01]
The US-based Human Rights Watch (HRW) called the verdict "part of
a continuing cover-up of army complicity in human rights crimes."
The organization noted in a press release: "Investigations by
civilian prosecutors reveal that troops under General Uscategui's
command welcomed paramilitaries who arrived at the San Jose del
Guaviare airport, helped them load their trucks, and ensured that
local troops who could have fought the paramilitaries were
engaged elsewhere. General Uscategui ignored alerts about the
massacre, and a subordinate testified that the general later
ordered him to falsify documents to cover up his complicity in
it."
HRW also points out that Orozco had alerted Uscategui to reports
of a massacre, and later cooperated with civilian investigators.
Orozco's testimony helped the Attorney General's Office prepare
formal charges against Uscategui for aiding and abetting
paramilitary groups. When jurisdiction over the case was
subsequently awarded to the military courts, Orozco worried that
he could not get a fair trial, and unsuccessfully sought to have
his case transferred to a civilian court. [HRW 2/13/01]
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Weekly News Update on the Americas * Nicaragua Solidarity Network of NY
339 Lafayette St, New York, NY 10012 * 212-674-9499 fax: 212-674-9139
http://home.earthlink.net/~dbwilson/wnuhome.html * [EMAIL PROTECTED]
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