Colombian journalist Felipe Zuleta announced Thursday that he plans to take Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to the International Criminal Court over the army’s extrajudicial killings of civilians who they then reported as rebels killed in combat, known as “false positives,” in the town of Soacha, central Colombia.
Zuleta made the announcement after a prosecutor sent by the Colombian Supreme Court shelved an investigation into Colombian President-elect Juan Manuel Santos‘ alleged responsibility for the Soacha false positives. Santos was Colombian defense minister at the time of the murders.
“It’s deplorable that only the families of the victims and few others care about the murders committed by this government,” Zuleta said.
“No one wants to see this reality [of the extrajudicial killings],” Zuleta added, “that’s why we need to involve the International Criminal Court.”
However while the case against Santos was archived, a preliminary investigation into retired General Mario Montoya, currently Colombia’s ambassador to the Dominican Republic, will continue.
Zuleta called for an investigation on February 22 because he believes that Santos and fellow former Defense Minister Camilo Ospina should assume responsibility for the extrajudicial killings, which occurred during the ministers’ time in office.