Colombian Military-men Arrested for Involvement in Massacre

By Oscar J Barbosa
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTA, Colombia – The Colombian’s Attorney General has arrested two retired Army Coronels, and seeks at least nineteen other for crimes against humanity committed between 1986 and 1994.

The Trujillo Massacre involved a deadly alliance between the Colombian Military, Paramilitaries and Drug dealers. Allegedly, the deadly alliance was forged to control the area and profit from the drug business. The case hit international press when it was brought to light the dismemberment suffered by hundreds of victims.

From 250 to 350 civilians were killed in that period, event for which the Colombian Government apologized before the Inter-American Human Rights Commission, after being found guilty of negligence.

The fugitives include retired army officials, civilians and paramilitaries; each is charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and murder.

Active colonel Wilfredo Ruiz Silva worked in Colombian Intelligence until Tuesday, when he found out there was a warrant for his arrest. Ruiz was a lieutenant at the time of the massacre, and has now been detained. At the same time, a retired officer was detained in Santander, under the same investigation.

Retired coronel Hernán Contreras Peña is also sought; he was commander of the military unit near Trujillo. Others include retired army major Alirio Antonio Urueña, retired lieutenant José Fernando Berrío—formerly commander of the Trujillo police station—and retired sergeant Aníbal Álvarez Hoyos, also a police officer in Trujillo.

El Tiempo reported that major drug dealers: Henry Loaiza, a.k.a. “El Alacrán”, formerly head of the Cali Cartel, and Diego Montoya Sánchez, a.k.a. 'don Diego', already detained have been implicated but refuse to talk about the events.

These arrest warrants were issued by the order of the Attorney General a year ago with the goal of re-opening the cases and re-initiating investigations as ordered by the Inter-American commission. The Colombian government apologized in 1995 about the events and at least other 60 men have been implicated by the victims. Yet, no one has served time for these crimes.

For more information, please see:

Colombia Reports - Two retired Colombian colonels sought for Trujillo Massacre – 01 October 2008

El Tiempo - Coronel implicado en masacre de Trujillo trabajó hasta el martes pasado en inteligencia military – 03 October 2008

Semana - Por masacre de Trujillo, otros dos militares a la cárcel – 03 October 2008-10-03