“Former President Uribe apologized for the false positives”, from the Democratic Center to Father De Roux

The president of the Truth Commission, Father Francisco de Roux, offered an interview this Saturday for W Radio, where he spoke about the importance of knowing testimonies such as the one offered by former President Juan Manuel Santos and the need to encourage those most involved in the issue of extrajudicial killings to tell the truth about it and to recognize their responsibility. The comment, he added, applies to former Senator Uribe himself.

“I hope former President Uribe will apologize for what happened in his government with the false positives, but that’s his business “said the priest during one of the key points of the interview. To underline the importance of this event, he added that “There is nothing harder than the denial of those responsible or the silence of those responsible”.

In response to Roux’s request, the Democratic Center assured that Uribe, “On several occasions he expressed his pain and apologized for the false positives”.

This is how it is recorded in the book ‘There is no cause to lose’ published in 2012. Moreover, he said it constantly in conferences and interviews. He made this clear during a conciliation hearing with Soacha’s mothers before the Supreme Court of Justice “, they assured since the party of Uribismo.

The party left the fragment to which they refer from the book in which it is read: “I have met many mothers of victims to offer them my sincerest apologies and to learn more about the crimes. They told me heartbreaking stories: their children had been deceived by promises of employment and their bodies had been found several days later hundreds of kilometers from their homes.Some of these cases included a homeless man, a young epileptic and street vendors … I expressed my condolences and my horror for the crimes, and I promised to bring those responsible to justice “Uribe said at the time.

In addition, the Democratic Center states that in February 2010, the ex-president met with Soacha’s mothers and “Expressed full commitment to clarify the facts, seek guarantees of transparency, justice and truth in youth cases.”.

For his part, De Roux reminded the station that what Santos said before the Commission, or what reaches anyone who achieves it, even the leader of the Democratic Center if he does, it is not legally binding and only counts as testimony of the truth as part of a much larger redress process. “We are not talking about legal responsibilities, but about something deeper which is moral responsibility and, in that sense, historical and political responsibility.”

Likewise, he acknowledged that no one is obligated to testify in this body, but everyone is invited to do so, because after Santos’ testimony, it is clear that false positives were a real doctrine of the highest spheres. of the Colombian State, and that in addition it rewarded the members of the national army with promotions. “We have to say that after 13 years we haven’t had the whole truth, if it had been from the lower ranks, they would fire them and that’s it, but it comes from the high command, ”added Father De Roux.

Needless to say that the words of the president of the Truth Commission are supported by certain statements made yesterday by the former president Santos, who warned that Uribe “never wanted to recognize the existence of an armed conflict, the guerrillas for him were simple drug traffickers and terrorists “, but at the same time he recognized that his then boss”he did not oppose changing this infamous doctrine, which he himself had encouraged. I never received a counter-order, nor was I authorized ”.

On Santos’ testimony, de Roux expressed a clear opinion: “He himself has this corporate idea of ​​the Army, the State and the government, which always tends to protect itself. He himself enters into this collective truth, which is a very complicated thing. and we believe that what they say is a lie of the NGOs against the legitimacy of the army ”.

However, he concluded that the door is still open not only for Uribe, but for anyone involved in false positives and wanting to tell the truth about the matter, as this is the best way to contrast the victims’ versions. and the perpetrators, and find the reasons why they acted the way they did. “The Commission has spoken with the military and I hope the men of the entity will come and tell the truth“, He said.

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