The victims of murders and forced disappearances presented as combat casualties by State agents on the Caribbean Coast publicly expressed in Valledupar their observations, doubts, and demands regarding the provisions of the Resolution of Conclusions No. 3, issued against former members of the ‘La Popa’ Battalion and civilian third parties accused of these serious crimes and who acknowledged their responsibility in July 2022.
“Over and over again we victims demand truth, truth and truth,” Laura Piña told the magistrates of the First Instance Section for Cases of Recognition of Truth and Responsibility of the JEP Special Court for Peace during the hearing . Piña is the daughter of Álvaro Adolfo Piña, assassinated in March 2005 and presented as a combat casualty. Laura led the group of 11 relatives of victims who participated in the first day of the investigation, which lasted two days.
Each one of the relatives presented their observations that will be a fundamental input for the Special Court for Peace to advance in the trial stage carried out by the First Instance Section for Cases of Acknowledgment of Truth and Responsibility. Their words still express the pain for the loss of their loved ones and they let it be known that, despite the acknowledgments and contributions of truth presented by those appearing a year ago, there are still important details to know in some specific cases.
Armando Pumarejo, father of Carlos Alberto Pumarejo, indicated that he still hopes that those appearing will clarify the circumstances in which his son was murdered, that they point to other high-ranking officers possibly responsible and restore his dignity. Mrs. Neftalina Romero, for her part, gained strength to speak publicly for the first time about the murder of her son, Nelson Romo Romero. “I ask that my son’s name be cleared,” she cried, dominated by tears.
Other victims focused on expressing their disagreements with some tasks, works and activities with restorative content (Toar) proposed by those appearing and consigned in the Resolution of Conclusions. “The projects they have do not go according to the process of many victims,” said Rocío Escorcia, sister of the victim Jhon Jáder Escorcia, who asked that they be consulted on how they can feel repaired.
The presence of Kankuamas, Wiwa and Afro-Colombian authorities was highlighted, in addition to the use of various symbolic elements and restorative acts contributed by the organizations of victims and their communities to dress the stage, whose meaning was explained by Katherine Pacheco, relative of a victim.
Judge Ana Manuela Ochoa, who was accompanied by Judge Zoraida Chalela and Judges Camilo Suárez and Juan Ramón Martínez, recognized the value of these symbolic expressions: “We have thought a lot about the families that are here today, that all of them, for sure, , they keep in their homes the memories and portraits of their children, grandchildren, parents, brothers and sisters who were violently torn from their lives,” he said.
The representatives of the victims also intervened to list some legal and procedural challenges that, in their opinion, may arise at this stage of the trial.
On Friday, September 1, the hearing continued to receive the observations of those appearing through their lawyers. The 12 defendants appearing online were connected virtually and their representatives intervened both in person and virtually.
The lawyers spoke of the commitment to the truth that the appearing parties have and their willingness to continue expanding information that satisfies the victims’ request. They also proposed that a dialogical and restorative meeting be held between victims and those appearing to define the (Toar) taking into account the needs and desires of the victims.
The section will continue with the task of collecting observations on the resolutions of conclusions issued to date. At the beginning of last July, the section received the observations of victims and those appearing in the Resolution of Conclusions against the former Secretariat of the extinct FARC-EP in the kidnapping case.
