On November 9, President of the Republic Gustavo Petro Urrego held a historic event in which the Colombian state apologized to the victims of the political massacres suffered by the Patriotic Union (UP) in the 1980s and 1990s.
The event, which took place in Santa Marta (Atlántico), focused on compliance with the order issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which recognized the state’s responsibility for crimes committed against UP militants and leaders.
You can now follow facebook and within us WhatsApp channel
The ceremony, held during the fourth Summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (Celac) with the European Union, formally acknowledged the state’s responsibility for the deaths, disappearances and political persecution that claimed the lives of more than 6,000 political party members and activists.
The genocide against the UP (a political party created in 1985 as a result of the peace process (1985) between the former Farc-EP and the government of Belisario Betancur) cemented its place as one of the most tragic and forgotten pages in Colombian history.
Born to give voice to ex-combatants and strengthen democracy in the country, the party soon became embroiled in a spiral of violence and persecution that lasted more than a decade.
The birth of the party was initially a matter of hope. peace building. This is because it guarantees the signatories of the agreement the possibility to participate in the political life of the country without fear of reprisal.;However, things changed dramatically when Virgilio Barco came to power in 1986.
Instead of protection, UP became the target of systematic persecution, including murder, forced displacement, intimidation, and harassment. The violence affected not only party leaders but also party strongholds and resulted in thousands of casualties.
A report by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) recorded at least 5,733 victims of the genocide, while other organizations such as Reinisiter, the National Center for Historical Memory, and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights put the number at more than 6,000.
The victims included five MPs, 11 deputy MPs, 109 city councilors, eight mayors, and eight former mayors, all of whom were politically connected to UP.
In 2019, the Inter-American Court held the Colombian state responsible for the genocide against the UP. The court found that although some of the attacks were carried out by paramilitary groups, there was also active participation by state actors, either directly or through tolerance and acquiescence in the events.
The court noted that national authorities ignored warnings about the risks faced by militants in UP, contributing to the genocide.
About The Author
