Colombia Truth Commission: 450K Killed in Civil War

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Facts

  • On Tues., the Colombian government-appointed truth commission released its report on the country's civil war that lasted more than a half-century. The internal conflict cost billions to American taxpayers and allegedly killed at least 450K people.1
  • The non-binding report gives a fiery review of Colombia's joint war on drugs with the US, deeming it 'ineffective in preventing consumption' and claiming it prolonged the conflict. It has also called for an overhaul in the Colombian defense forces and anti-drug policies.2
  • The commission was established in 2016 as part of the peace agreement with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). It collected information from over 14K interviews with victims, fighters, and public servants involved in the violent conflict.3
  • In addition to the 450K deaths, at least 121K disappeared, 55K were kidnapped, and 7.7M people were displaced during the civil war.4
  • Furthermore, the report states that the 'false positives' scandal wasn't an isolated case, citing the responsibility of the military. Between 2002 and 2008, the military falsely labeled 6.4K killings as combat deaths.2
  • This comes days after Gustavo Petro, a former member of the demobilized leftist M-19 rebel group, won the presidential runoff in the country. During his campaign, he vowed to find new solutions to fight drug trafficking.5

Sources: 1New York Times, 2Washington Post, 3CNN, 4Al Jazeera and 5Itn.

Narratives

  • Narrative A, as provided by New York Times. This report is crucial to the Colombian peace process as it gives a neutral analysis of the conflict. It will bring justice to the victims of the war while providing recommendations to build sustainable peace in the nation.
  • Narrative B, as provided by Justiceinfo. This is a biased report that failed to analyze the guerrillas' responsibilities and their relations with foreign powers. The so-called truth commission made this clear by taking political advantage of its position to support Petro's election.