The Colombian Ministry of Defense released a list of 21 demobilized guerrillas who are eligible to receive benefits under the Justice and Peace law.
The Justice and Peace law affords benefits, such as reduced sentences, to armed rebels in exchange for their demobilization and collaboration with justice.
Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos said the Colombian armed forces had held “rigorous” interviews with candidates to determine who was eligible.
The 21 guerrillas selected are currently imprisoned in various jails around the country. They fulfilled the four prerequisites required by law: to have been a member of an armed group prior to incarceration; to have provided a written statement expressing their desire to abandon that group; to have publicly renounced that group and to have effectively contributed to its dismantling.
According to Caracol Radio, the 21 chosen had cooperated with officials, providing operational information, locating mass graves and identifying frontmen.