The U.S. State Department has honored prominent Colombian lawyer Jorge Molano with a special mention at the annual “Human Rights Defender” awards.
According to a press release from the website of the U.S. Embassy in Bogota, Secretary of State Hilary Clinton gave Molano the special mention in order to honor a man “whose courage has made good use of the Colombian courts to seek justice in human rights cases for over 20 years.”
One of Molano’s most high profile cases came when he represented the families of 11 victims who disappeared after the army regained control of the Palace of Justice in 1985 after it had been stormed by the now defunct guerrilla organization, the M19.
The statement by the Embassy finished by noting the inspiration people like Molano instill in others, thus making them worthy of “recognition worldwide.”