Underage youths victims of summary executions in Colombia

[20 July 2006] – At least eight youths were killed in presumed summary executions in the past 18 months in Colombia’s departments of Antioquia, Choco and César, say national and international human rights organisations.

“Guerrilla members killed in combat” was how the Colombian army described the deaths to the general public. These are the latest in a series of killings under investigation since 2005 by the Fiscalía General de la Nación and the military forces themselves which however have yet to show concrete results. No cases have been solved and no one has been prosecuted for these crimes.

Both Amnesty International and the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights have drawn attention to the killings, as well as the Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law Institutional Commission of Antioquia and the Human Rights and Development of the West Antioquia Work Group.

Manipulated facts

Although there are no current estimates of the total number of victims of summary executions, Amnesty International issued a statement in June according to which “Extrajudicial executions committed by security forces continue to be notified (in Colombia) and estimates point to an increase in at least 100 victims.”
Carmen Rosa Villa, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, notes in her 2005 Colombia report an increase in complaints of summary executions and warns that facts are being manipulated:

“The High Commissioner expresses concern over a growing number of complaints denouncing actions attributed to state forces, from all over the country. The main concern is with deaths officially described as 'guerrillas killed in combat', as well as crime scene changes made to simulate combat, including dressing victims up in guerrilla outfits.”

Standard Procedures

The Commissioner also expressed fears that such practices in violation of human rights become standard practice. These concerns extend to the fact authorities will not discuss the issue and that no one has been prosecuted for the crimes.

Colombia’s military authorities have responded by confirming that 29 investigations have been launched into the role of the security forces. This has prompted a discussion of whether to prosecute these cases in military or civilian courts.

*Article written by Juan Diego Restrepo E. from the Instituto Popular de Capacitación (IPC) de Medellín, Colombia.