A former Colombian intelligence soldier has declared before the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) that several state crimes occurred in military facilities.
On 24 June 2024, W Radio revealed that a former military intelligence officer, Sergeant José Leonairo Dorado, in his declaration before the JEP outlined that several state crimes allegedly occurred in the Escuela de Logística y Batallón de Contrainteligencia del Ejército Nacional (Counterintelligence Battalion of the Colombian Army). One specific case mentioned was that of Trade Unionist, Pedro Julio Movilla. Dorado alleged that his body was buried in the Battalion. The bodies of other victims of forced disappearance, it was alleged, could also be buried there.
On 18 July 2024, some of the families of victims of the disappeared, together with the Movement of Victims of State Crimes (Movice) and other Human Rights Organisations, will hold a sit-in at the Counterintelligence Battalion of the Colombian Army. They are demanding that the JEP take the necessary measures to guard identified places in military battalions where bodies of their loved ones have allegedly been buried, to ensure that they do not disappear again.
From the moment the former sergeant’s statements became known to the families of the victims of forced disappearance, they have been demanding action from the Colombian authorities to protect their right to know the truth and find their loved ones. To date no action has been taken by the JEP to #ProtectTheTruth in this situation.
Since 2009, in our report Climate of Fear, ABColombia has been calling for the declassification and access for human rights lawyers to military intelligence files.” Louise Winstanley, ABColombia Programme and Advocacy Manager
The sit-in is to demand that the competent authorities do not to lose this opportunity to find the bodies of their loved ones and to end decades of persistent and painful searching. The families want to ensure that the truth is told, impunity is addressed, and repetition prevented.
Dorado’s testimony allegedly outlined the illegal use of intelligence activities by the military to commit State Crimes. As a result of his testimony there have been renewed calls for the declassification of military intelligence files, and in particular, those of the XX Brigade.
The José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers Collective are calling for ‘the archives of the XX Brigade to finally be declassified and for … access to the information by those who were victims of surveillance … which led to the commission of executions, disappearances and other serious criminal actions by State agents’ (unofficial translation)
- ABColombia therefore reiterate the calls being made for the immediate declassification of Military intelligence files of the XX Brigade
There have been several scandals involving the misuse of military intelligence to persecute human rights defenders in Colombia, and the use of this intelligence to make them a target for assassination.
“Please, we are begging the JEP to issue this measure, because there are the remains of my partner, who I have been searching for and crying for 31 years and many months. My children and I have suffered a lot. We ask this society, all entities, and organizations to request that this site be protected so that Pedro’s body does not disappear again. We want them to hand him over to us with dignity and say a final goodbye,” Candelaria Vergara (Pedro Julio Movilla’s partner).
- We also recommend that the JEP protect burial sites of the disappeared, including those in military Barracks.