Colombia's peace tribunal indicts former FARC members for crimes against Indigenous groups

Colombia’s transitional justice system has indicted several former members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed between 1996 and 2016. A group of 10 ex-rebels was charged on Tuesday with crimes including torture, murder, and forced displacement against five Indigenous groups in southeast Colombia. The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) stated that FARC commanders had ordered subordinates to plant landmines on Indigenous territory and damage ecosystems vital for the tribes' survival. JEP magistrate Catalina Diaz remarked, "Today we are delivering justice to the most forgotten peoples of a segregated Colombia," adding that these communities have had their basic rights compromised. This indictment reflects Colombia's ongoing efforts to address the abuses from a civil conflict that lasted over 50 years, resulting in significant human rights violations. A 2022 report from Colombia’s Truth Commission indicated that 450,664 people were killed and 121,768 forcibly disappeared due to the conflict. Indigenous activists welcomed the JEP's decision as recognition of the targeting of their communities. Yhon Jairo Figueroa, a leader of the Koreguaje tribe, stated, "For the first time, the Colombian state recognises that [armed groups] did not just kill individuals, but they attempted to kill the knowledge, the language, the territory." Three of the accused were part of FARC's last secretariat, which reached a peace deal with the government in 2016. Critics of the deal argue that many responsible for abuses have not faced accountability, and some FARC members have formed splinter groups that continue to engage in conflict. The JEP can impose non-prison penalties, such as reparations and community service. However, concerns have been raised about the future of the JEP under the new far-right President Abelardo de la Espriella, who has proposed significant cuts to its funding for the upcoming fiscal year.