Colombian President Álvaro Uribe Monday headed the first weekly hearing
about the progress made in investigations into alleged human rights
violations committed by members of the country’s security forces.
Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos announced no security official
could make promotion without passing a lie detector test.
The President called not only for results, but also transparency in the war against the FARC. “Transparency is the enforcement of the legal system, it’s taking human rights into account. Efficiency without transparency isn’t efficiency, it’s crime,” Uribe said.
Defense Minister Santos announced a number of measures to battle the human rights violations committed by the Colombian Army. Nobody within the armed forces will be able to make any promotion without passing a lie detector test, securing no “dirty” officials are promoted.
Soldiers will increasingly be taught about human rights and military operations will be more thoroughly checked on discrepancies by Military intelligence.
A new Immediate Inspection Commission will be given the means to investigate complaints about human rights at any time. The commission will report to the army’s Inspector General who can take disciplinary measures.
The Uribe administration has come under increasing pressure to act against human rights violations by its armed forces.