Colombia’s military leaves defense minister lying on his own over murder of FARC member
A commander of Colombia’s armed forces on Saturday apologized for the torture and murder of a demobilized FARCguerrilla that has repeatedly been defended by the defense minister.
General Diego Villegas of the Vulcano Task Force traveled the Catatumbo region in northeastern Colombia to personally ask forgiveness for the “killing of a member of the community” by one of his subordinates on Monday.
Villegas contradicted Defense Minister Guillermo Botero who on three occasions denied the castration and murder of former FARC guerrilla Dimar Torres.
On one occasion, Botero said that Torres was killed in “a legitimate act of self-defense.” On a different occasion, the minister said that the victim had tried to take the weapon of his alleged killer, but died when the rifle accidentally went off.
Torres’ neighbors in Convencion caught the military unit that murdered Torres red-handed while the soldiers were digging a shallow grave close to the lifeless and tortured body of the demobilized FARC member. According to forensic prosecutors, the demobilized guerrilla’s private parts had been cut off and his skull had been crushed.
Prosecutor General Nestor Humberto Martinez said that the soldier who admitted to have killed Torres would be charged with homicide.
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