On behalf of the Colombian State, vice president Francisco Santos asked for forgiveness for the 2000 El Salado massacre, one of the most brutal in the country’s history.
During a report by the Reparation Commission, Santos apologized to the nation for the massacre in El Salado village in the north of Colombia, as it has been nine years and the full truth of what occurred still hasn’t fully come to light.
So far, the Reparation Commission thinks that there might be upwards of 60 villagers murdered between 16 and 21 February 2000, by more than 450 paramilitaries.
“On behalf of the State I ask for forgiveness, because nine years and seven months has passed since this horrific massacre and the whole truth still has not been revealed. All those responsible still have not been brought to justice as is our duty,” the vice president said.
Santos also criticized some judges of the Supreme Court for, in his opinion, asking unnecessary questions that slowed down the judicial process, reported Caracol Radio.
“I saw the questions that some of the judges wanted the Prosecution to answer in order to lay charges. Questions such as, ‘where did they buy their boots?’; questions regarding the analysis of the peace agreements,” said Santos.
For the vice president, these questions are holding up “more than 150 complaints that relate to nine thousand homicides that [are still waiting for their day of justice],” and thus calls on the courts to facilitate justice.