A peace court in Colombia raised on Tuesday, April 28, the number of civilians killed by the military between 1990 and 2016 to 7,837, to present them as alleged guerrillas killed in combat within the framework of the internal conflict. The case known as "false positives" has shocked the country.
First modification: 04/28/2026 - 21:51 Last modification: 04/29/2026 - 04:32
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The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), created with the agreement that disarmed the FARC guerrilla in 2016, investigates these cases of extrajudicial executions as part of its work to clarify the most serious violations committed during the armed confrontation.
In 2021, the court had established 6,402 executions of civilians, known in Colombia as "false positives", between 2002 and 2008.
On Tuesday, the president of the JEP, Alejandro Ramelli, reported that the court received information from new sources and extended the analysis period between 1990 and 2016, so the new balance is 7,837 victims.
"Even this new figure will most likely increase in the future," Ramelli said during a hearing.
Read alsoColombia: JEP issues first restorative sentence against former military personnel for extrajudicial executions
Leftist President Gustavo Petro stated in X that "this is the worst crime against humanity committed in the Americas in this century."
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Several soldiers, including high-ranking officers, have confessed to these crimes before the court, which offers alternative sentences to prison in exchange for telling the truth.
In hearings before the victims' relatives, they have recounted how they tricked young people into murdering them and passing them off as members of insurgent groups, in some cases due to pressure from their superiors.
In exchange, the military received economic benefits or days of rest.
Most of the cases occurred during the government of right-wing Álvaro Uribe (2002-2010), who promoted a tough policy against the guerrillas. The former president denies that it was a directive from his government.
In September, the JEP sentenced the FARC leadership for the first time to eight years of restorative work and restrictions on mobility for more than 21,000 kidnappings.
He then sentenced a first group of 12 retired military personnel with a similar measure for the disappearance and murder of civilians.
Twenty former guerrillas declared responsible for recruiting minors
The JEP also determined this Tuesday that 20 former FARC guerrillas are "most responsible" for the recruitment of children into their ranks.
The accused were part of the Eastern, Southern, Northwestern, Caribbean, Magdalena Medio and Central Joint Command blocks of the FARC. According to the court, they "exercised command or played decisive roles in the recruitment of minors."
The investigation is part of Case 07 of the JEP, titled 'Recruitment and use of girls and boys in the armed conflict', which includes 11,052 victims, of which 9,027 belong to six affected ethnic-racial peoples and 2,025 are individual victims.
"This shows that recruitment disproportionately affected historically vulnerable communities. Indigenous and Afro-Colombian peoples not only lost their boys and girls, but also saw their social structures, cultural continuity and ways of life affected," said the president of the JEP, Alejandro Ramelli, in a press conference.
Read alsoThe resilience of the mothers of the 'false positives' of Soacha, an example for the world
With EFE and AFP
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