New Colombian army chief general Oscar González said Monday he will severely
punish those security officials who engaged in the forced disappearance
or the murder on civilians.
“That is a promise to the Colombian people,” the general told Caracol Radio.
“The national army is that is based on honor and the day we fail, the Colombian people is who suffers, so we can make no mistakes,” he added.
González replaced formed army chief Mario Montoya who resigned after the widening scandal of army officials kidnapping and murdering civilians to make their war on illegal armed groups like the FARC seem more effective. Days before Montoya’s resignation the army sacked 27 officials including 3 generals.
Colombia’s Chief Prosecution’s Office is investigating more than a thousand cases of possible extrajudicial executions committed by the army, but has made no arrests.