Scandals Sap Colombians' Faith In Army

Yahoo News - Sat Oct 7, 2006
By TOBY MUSE, Associated Press Writer

A slew of allegations, staged bombings, civilian killings and a fake kidnapping have eroded confidence in the institution most crucial to President Alvaro Uribe's crusade to make his war-torn country safer: Colombia's U.S.-bankrolled army. Fueling the latest scandal, two imprisoned rebels phoned a radio station Friday to describe how army intelligence officers allegedly paid ex-guerrillas thousands of dollars to stage phony bombings ahead of Uribe's August inauguration to a second term.

The jailed guerrillas said the officers intended to take credit and claim reward money for discovering and defusing the bombs, one of which killed a passer-by and wounded 19 soldiers.
"The officers offered 30 million pesos ($12,500) for each attack and they paid those who could make one happen," an ex-guerrilla known as Evaristo said from the La Picota prison.

They also said the intelligence officers paid former guerrillas to organize the bogus surrender of a rebel unit and falsely accuse peasants of being rebels.

The army chief and defense minister acknowledged last month the plot was under investigation. In a televised address last month, Uribe urged Colombians to have faith in their armed forces, stressing the allegations had not been proven.

But the scandal was only the latest to try the patience of Colombians, human rights groups and even some lawmakers in Washington, which has provided $4 billion in aid to the South American country in the past six years, mostly for the army.

"So many of these cases have come to light in recent months, they have planted doubts about all the actions of the armed forces," said Marco Romero, director of the human rights group Codhes.

Of particular concern are complaints that people with no history of guerrilla ties have been seized by security forces only to turn up dead. In September, the chief federal prosecutor's office opened investigations against 14 soldiers accused of killing civilians and claiming they were guerrillas.

No one keeps national figures of extrajudicial killings. But between 2002 and 2005, the independent group Judicial Freedom Corp. recorded 107 cases in five municipalities in northwestern Antioquia state

"There's a pressure on these army units to produce results, to be the most active in killing guerrillas," said Elkin Ramirez, a lawyer for Judicial Freedom Corp. "This comes right from the top, from the presidency."

Uribe has staked his political fortunes on a tough approach to crime and violence in a country battered by more than four decades of civil war between leftist rebels, right-wing paramilitaries and government forces. Many Colombians credit Uribe's initiatives for a sharp drop in kidnappings and murders and overwhelmingly re-elected him in May.

The high-performing Antioquia-based 4th Brigade reported the killing, capture or surrender of 705 rebels or paramilitaries last year. But rights activists say the number was inflated by extrajudicial civilian killings.

They point to the case of Luz Morales, a 16-year-old girl who was detained in 2003 by 4th Brigade soldiers on suspicion of belonging to the main leftist insurgency, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The next day, the army claimed the girl had escaped custody and mounted an attack on the unit in which only she was killed.

"We know this is not true, my sister had nothing to do with the guerrillas," said Blanca Morales, Luz's sister.

A 4th Brigade spokesman declined to comment, and the Defense Ministry refused repeated requests to discuss cases of alleged extrajudicial killings.

Authorities' standard response has been to deem abuses isolated cases. But rights activists say the problem is more widespread.

Among recent scandals:
• The chief of an elite anti-kidnapping army unit and seven other soldiers were arresting for allegedly helping a man stage his own kidnapping and rescue to avoid paying debts. Six "kidnappers" were killed, including people to whom the "victim" owed money.
• A colonel and 14 soldiers are about to stand trial for killing 10 elite anti-drug officials in a May ambush, allegedly at the behest of drug traffickers.
• Eighteen soldiers are under investigation in the deaths of 29 people initially accused of being leftist rebels in Antioquia.

The scandals have caught the attention of some U.S. lawmakers, who hold control aid for a plan that initially targeted cocaine production but was expanded to help the war against the guerrillas.

"What we're looking for are trials for perpetrators, prosecution of those responsible, strengthening of the judicial system," said Rep. Sam Farr (news, bio, voting record), a California Democrat who tried unsuccessfully to freeze some aid to pressure Colombia for improvements on human rights. "We know they can do it."