Members of the Colombian party Comunes, created after the peace agreement with Colombia’s now defunct FARC guerrillas, acknowledged on Monday their responsibility for kidnappings carried out in the context of the Colombian armed conflict.
«The group of participants, members of the extinct FARC-EP guerrilla, have recognized the kidnapping as an event that should never have happened in the Colombian internal armed conflict and that generated a deep pain to the victims and their families», reads the press release issued by Comunes and published by the signatories of the peace agreement.
«Our unrestricted and unwavering commitment is to continue complying with the Peace Agreement, to contribute to the truth, to repair the damage caused to the victims and to society», continues the letter.
In this sense, the signatories of the peace agreement have shown themselves to be «deeply committed to the victims», of whom they admit that they admire «their generosity and courage» in going before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace in search of truth and justice.
«Today we can only express our pain and shame for the actions that, in the framework of the war, affected thousands of families who had to face the scourge of kidnapping, a wrong policy and contrary to the values of our revolutionary causes,» the former FARC members have assured.
Thus, the participants emphasized that this resolution shows their own «materialized disposition»: «It is an important advance in the consolidation of peace», they indicated, before emphasizing that «it is the first time in Colombia that an armed actor assumes this commitment and recognizes its responsibility for events that occurred during the war».
They also stated that they will participate «in all relevant actions to find the whereabouts of people reported missing», as well as «those who unjustly suffered kidnapping and other undignified treatment».
In addition, they will lead the humanitarian demining mission in the territories affected by anti-personnel mines, adds the communiqué.
The members of the ex-guerrilla have spoken out after learning the conclusions of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) on the sentences to be imposed on FARC members, requesting between five and eight years in prison for the accused.
FARC VICTIMS INDIGNANT The Fundación Defensa de Inocentes, which groups former FARC hostages from Valle de Cauca, has assured that the conclusion of the SJP «does not correspond to reality» and «has caused great disappointment among the victims».
«On behalf of the victims we represent (…) we reiterate our deep disappointment with this decision of the JEP», they stated, stressing that the victims have «made all their contributions to forgive their victimizers», while they still do not «know the full truth».
«We are talking about extremely serious crimes committed by members of the FARC Secretariat, such as the kidnapping and the massacre of the deputies of Valle; and in this case, in which the Fundación Defensa de Inocentes participates as a representative of victims, we have to express that there has not been a detailed, full and exhaustive truth on the part of the ex-members,» reads the organization’s communiqué.
The victims have criticized that there have been half-truths, manipulation of the truth. «It has been a grueling legal struggle to prevent the perpetrators from lying and giving fabricated and manipulated versions,» they said.
The Foundation has regretted these actions, which «in any case offend the dignity of the victims, who, in addition to enduring the murder of their loved ones, have had to listen to lies and incomplete and distorted versions of the facts that victimized them».
«It hurts us that a peace agreement, which filled Colombia with expectations and which has positive elements such as the vindication and delivery of land for peasants and displaced people, but, in terms of the JEP, we reiterate, there is a complete inequity and violation of all the rights of the victims», they have expressed.
Likewise, the foundation has announced that, due to their disagreement, they will step aside from the JEP. «The victims feel disillusioned, so we have decided to step aside. We are not going to find justice in the JEP,» they criticized.
«We do not believe in the justice that the JEP is imparting and we invite all the victims of Colombia who are waiting for justice in the JEP not to continue to lend themselves to this lamentable mockery of their rights,» the group of ex-refugees concluded.
