Colombian Victims of 'Operation Orion' Expose Uribe's Hypocrisy

As Colombians mark the 14th anniversary of “Operation Orion” – a military offensive in the city of Medellin against the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia that led to the takeover by paramilitary groups who killed and tortured people – victims are calling for the prosecution of the official who authorized the operation: former President Alvaro Uribe.

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"For 14 years we have demanded truth, justice and reparations, but what we have found is justification, impunity and persecution,” Gloria Urrego, spokesperson for the Women Walking for Truth cooperative, told Caracol Radio last week.

“So today we say firmly, Mr. Alvaro Uribe, Mr. Andres Pastrana and Mr. Alejandro Ordoñez, you do not represent us and, on the contrary, we demand that you also commit to telling the truth, recognize your responsibilities and commit to respecting the rights of the victims.”

By calling for him to take responsibility for his crimes, the victims exposed Uribe's double-standard, as he fiercely campaigned for a “No” vote in the recent plebiscite on the peace accord between the government and the FARC-EP on the basis that many of the rebel leaders were allowed impunity for their alleged serious crimes.

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Shortly after taking office in 2002, Uribe launched Operation Orion to oust the FARC-EP from the densely-populated Comuna 13 district on the hillsides of Medellin.

When the rebels left the area, the military assisted in a takeover by balaclava-clad far-right militia fighters wielding heavy weapons, who carried out hideous crimes, kidnappings and torture in tandem with the U.S.-trained security forces. By some estimates, hundreds of people were killed or disappeared.

Urrego further explained that the victims supported the “Yes” campaign in the referendum, and while she thanked President Juan Manuel Santos for his commitment to peace and his decision to donate the Nobel Peace Prize money to the victims, she also called on him to “fulfill his commitment to us and uphold the peace agreement, which promises to respect our rights.”