Despite widespread belief to the contrary, the government claimed before the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) that the 11 individuals that remain unaccounted for after 27 years actually died in the fire which consumed the palace.
On November 6th, 1985, 35 M-19 guerrillas
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“The missing civilians perished in the fire under the custody of the insurgent group…The alleged violations of the rights [of the disappeared] is due, exclusively, to the actions of the third party,” wrote the government’s lawyer and the former deputy minister of justice. The governement’s stance is controversial because it directly contradicts previous rulings such as the conviction of Colonel Alfonso Plazas Vega. The colonel was sentenced to 30 years for his role in the forced disappearances.
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“The State’s reponse to the Court is that there were no disappearances…nor was there torture, when [actually] the proof is conclusive [and was] obtained by the same organizations [who found] that yes, they were tortured,” said
- Palacio de Justicia: en retoma del palacio no hubo desparecidos, segun el Gobierno ante CorteIDH (El Colombiano)
- Retoma del Palacio de Justicia: Defensa de Colombia en Corte Interamericana (El Tiempo)
- “Negar que hubo desaparecidos, es como negar que en el Palacio de Justicia hubo fuego” (Caracol Radio)
- IACHR presenta caso sobre Colombia a la CorteIDH (OAS)