This Friday, the United States withdrew the visas of former Colombian general Jesús Armando Arias Cabrales, his wife and children for the military’s role in the retaking of the Palace of Justice in 1985.
Through a statement, the spokesperson for the State Department, Mattew Miller, indicated that The removal of the visa was a product of his participation in the violation of human rights.
“The United States designates former Colombian general Jesús Armando Arias Cabrales for his participation in a serious violation of human rights during the retaking of the Bogotá Palace of Justice in November 1985. As a result of today’s action, Arias Cabrales, his wife Martha Paulina Isaza de Arias and their children Francisco Armando Arias Isaza and Martha Lucia Arias Isaza are not eligible to enter the United States,” Miller said in the statement.
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The official took the opportunity to say that the United States firmly supports the Peace Agreement that was signed with the FARC in 2016. and congratulated the Colombian people on the commemoration of their seventh anniversary.
“The United States congratulates Colombia on this anniversary and we value its continued achievements to date. We also praise the work of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) to end impunity for crimes related to the conflict. “The JEP integrates reparative justice and recognition with criminal processes to ensure that victims play a central role in all stages of the peace process,” Miller said.
The announcement about the sanction against Cabrales and his family is quite unusual, since the State Department rarely comments on the withdrawal of visas to people from another country unless you want to send a political message.
On November 6, The guerrilla group M-19, in which the current president Gustavo Petro was a member, took over the facilities of the Palace of Justice in Bogotá and held more than 350 people hostage, including magistrates, state councilors, judicial servants, employees and visitors.
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Both the Police and the Army responded to the incursion by forcibly regaining control of the Palace. In the operation, 101 people died, including 11 magistrates, and at least 11 others “disappeared.”
In 2019, The Supreme Court of Justice sentenced Cabrales to 35 years in prison for his role in the events.
SERGIO GÓMEZ MASERI
TIME CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON
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