Colombia’s vice-President Francisco Santos Wednesday asked victims of
human rights violations committed by the armed forces to forgive the
State during a session of the United Nation’s human rights council in Geneva.
Colombia appeared before the council to defend the human rights situation in the country. Something it has to do once every ten years.
Santos told the council the government was “ashamed” its armed forces murdered innocent civilians.
“Unfortunately we must admit cases like this have happened in our country and with deep sorrow we ask the victims for forgiveness. I assure you none of these crimes will remain in impunity,” the vice-President said.
Colombia’s become under scrutiny after it was forced to sack dozens of members of teh armed forces for teh kidnapping and murder of civilians to make its war against the FARC look more effective. Until recently, the government steadily denied the existence of ‘false positives’, despite numerous complaints by human rights groups.
The vice-President rejected remarks made by the Danish delegate that Colombian human rights violations are widespread.
The UN will present recommendations on how to improve the human rights situation in Colombia on December 15. Colombia is free to adopt or ignore these recommendations. “Some recommendations we will accept,” Santos told Newspaper El Tiempo.