Summary
The article discusses Colombia's journey towards peace after a long conflict involving the state and FARC-EP rebels. The focus is on the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, a justice system handling cases of extrajudicial killings known as "false positives" committed by the national army. Soldiers involved in these acts now testify before this body as part of the peace process.
Key Facts
- Colombia had a conflict with FARC-EP rebels for over 50 years, ending with a peace agreement in 2016.
- The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) was created to address human rights violations from the conflict.
- The JEP focuses on transitional and restorative justice, which emphasizes helping victims and ensuring fair trials.
- "False positives" refer to innocent civilians falsely presented as enemy fighters killed by the national army.
- Soldiers involved are now testifying and admitting their actions as part of the peace process.
- The JEP allows a restorative process for those acknowledging their crimes and an adversarial one for those who do not.
- Over 17,000 individuals, including former rebels and army members, are involved with the JEP.
- The system has issued indictments, and both restorative and adversarial sentences, while also waiving prosecutions for some participants.
