The US prohibits entry to former Colombian army commander for extrajudicial executions

The United States on Friday banned former Colombian army commander, retired General Mario Montoya, from entering its territory, citing credible evidence of his involvement in extrajudicial executions of civilians.

Montoya was included on a designated list of people subject to US sanctions, “due to his involvement in serious human rights violations,” Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement.

Colombia’s Attorney General’s Office announced in August 2021 that it would file charges against Montoya for his alleged responsibility in 104 murders committed between November 2007 and November 2008. A court later blocked the move.

Montoya was commander of the Colombian army between 2006 and 2008, a time when the army was fighting against the rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) in the midst of an internal armed conflict that has left more than 450,000 dead.

Montoya resigned in November 2008 amid accusations that army soldiers executed civilians to present them as combat deaths. The former military man, who is free, denied the accusations against him in the past.

Blinken cited credible evidence that, during his tenure, Montoya “was involved in extrajudicial executions of civilians, which were falsely presented as combat deaths during Colombia’s internal armed conflict.”

Although Montoya joined the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) in 2018, a court that emerged from the 2016 peace agreement with the FARC guerrilla, the Prosecutor’s Office maintains jurisdiction over cases related to the armed conflict that occurred until December 1, 2016, as long as no substantive decisions are made.

The JEP revealed that at least 6,402 people were murdered by military personnel and falsely presented as rebels between 2002 and 2008, during the two terms of former President Álvaro Uribe. But human rights groups say the number of victims could be higher.

Dozens of army officers detained and convicted for their participation in the murders have appeared before the JEP seeking lighter sentences than those that would apply to them in the ordinary justice system in exchange for truth, justice, reparation and no reparation.

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