Colombia’s Supreme Court reopened the case against former Army general
Rito Alejo del Rio, who is suspected of having collaborated with
paramilitary death squads.
The Attorney General had asked for the reopening after several testimonies made by demobilized paramilitaries linked the retired General to the Self Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).
The Penal Chamber of the high court then asked the Prosecution to reopen the case and include the paramilitary testimonies in the evidence against the General.
Del Rio is suspected of having allowed paramilitaries to kill dozens of innocent civilians when he was commanding the army’s 17th Brigade in the 1990’s. He has never been convicted, but is now in jail awaiting justice.