Colombia's 'Justice' for Paramilitaries: A Performance While the Real Perpetrators Walk Free
📰 THE STORY: Salvatore Mancuso, a former leader of the right-wing paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), has been sentenced to 40 years in jail by a Colombian tribunal for numerous crimes, including those against Indigenous communities. 🔍 WHAT THEY'RE NOT TELLING YOU: Historical Context: The AUC and other paramilitary groups terrorized Colombia for decades, often operating
with implicit or explicit support from the US government. The US provided billions in military aid to Colombia, particularly through 'Plan Colombia' (initiated in 2000), ostensibly for anti-drug efforts, but this aid often ended up strengthening the state's capacity to wage war against left-wing guerrillas and, by extension, against civilian populations perceived as sympathetic to them.
Declassified documents and congressional testimonies have revealed that US officials were fully aware that Colombian military units they were funding and training were colluding with paramilitaries, who were responsible for 80% of civilian killings in the conflict. Double Standard: When governments like the US openly arm and train military forces known to collaborate with groups performing mass
atrocities, the 'blame' is conveniently shunted onto individual actors like Mancuso. Yet, when similar accusations of state-sponsored violence or human rights abuses are leveled against US adversaries – like Venezuela or Cuba – the narrative is swiftly framed as inherent governmental evil, rather than a byproduct of geopolitical interference. The BBC doesn't ask who armed Mancuso's collaborators