The reputation of Colombia’s armed forces was harmed further Sunday
when five soldiers and their officers were arrested for allegedly robbing a
church and another seven members of the military were dismissed over the massacre of a Tolima
family in 2004.
The five soldiers and their officer were arrested in Bogotá after witnesses of the church robbery had pointed them out as perpetrators. They werehanded over to the Prosecution who will indict them, Caracol Radio reported.
The Attorney General Sunday decided to dismiss six soldiers and their commander because of the murder of seven civilians in a rural part of the Tolima department, newspaper El Espectador reported.
The army patrol opened fire on a peasant family who they mistakenly took for guerrillas. After realizing their mistake they murdered the only surviving family member to cover up the error.
Friday seven members of the Army’s 4th brigade were sentenced to 24 years in jail for the torture of four young men in Medellín.
Colombia’s Armed Forces are under great pressure, because the investigations into civilian killings. Forty members of the armed forces have been dismissed so far. So far none has been taken to justice.