The United States sanctioned and withdrew the visas of three former Colombian soldiers and members of their families on Thursday for his responsibility in serious human rights violations that were documented by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).
“Today we are taking steps to promote the accountability of three former Colombian officials for their involvement in serious human rights violations during the decades of internal armed conflict in Colombia. The Department of State is designating former Colonel Publio Hernán Mejía Gutiérrez, former Colonel Juan Carlos Figueroa Suárez, and former General Iván Ramírez Quintero pursuant to Section 7031(c) of the Department of State Foreign Operations and Related Programs Appropriations Act. 2023. As a result of today’s action, Mejía Gutiérrez, Figueroa Suárez, and Ramírez Quintero are ineligible to enter the United States. Five of his family members are also being designated as part of this action,” Secretary of State Anthony Blinken said in a statement.
In the same statement, Blinken “congratulates the JEP for its vital work in support of the victims and survivors of the conflict” and says that it “will continue to work together with Colombian and international partners to support the full implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement.”
Colonel Publio Hernán Mejía Gutiérrez was in charge of the La Popa battalion in 2007, a military unit that carried out offensive counter-guerrilla actions and has been accused of extrajudicial executions of civilians in its operations to pass them off as guerrillas. Mejía, however, did not acknowledge his responsibility and has insisted that he is the victim of a conspiracy against him by then Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos and Vice Minister Sergio Jaramillo.
Colonel Carlos Figueroa Suárez was also in La Popa and, like Mejía, he has never acknowledged his responsibility.
General Iván Ramírez Quintero was commander of the Army’s 20th brigade, dismantled in 1998 for accusations of crimes against human rights. According to the JEP, this brigade is involved in the crimes committed against the Patriotic Union.
In addition, Ramírez was the head of intelligence and counterintelligence in 1985 and has been accused of being involved in the disappearance of people during the retaking of the Palace of Justice that year. In August of last year, the JEP rejected his submission for having refused to make contributions to the truth and having “systematically failed to comply with the requirements of the JEP and the Comprehensive System for Peace.”
SERGIO GOMEZ MÁSERI
WEATHER CORRESPONDENT
WASHINGTON
ON TWITTER: @SERGOM68
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