Colombia: Paramilitary leaders quit demobilization process

Jailed right-wing paramilitary heads have quit the demobilization process with the Colombian government due to a recent Supreme Court decision. "We can't allow our fighters to be treated like common criminals," said a paramilitary spokesman in reaction to the Court’s decision to try paramilitary soldiers without special privileges.

President Alvaro Uribe disagreed with the ruling and believed that it treats paramilitaries unequally with leftist guerillas. Yet as Supreme Court Chief Justice Julio César Valencia clarified:

“The President has made a mistake in his interpretation of the Court’s ruling. I believe that the sentence signaled a series of general features that affect not only the process with paramilitaries but also any other process with illegal groups such as guerillas.”

In the meantime, victims of paramilitary crimes will be hurt more than they already have in that senior paramilitary members will not voluntarily testify to a special judicial commission and a reparation fund for victims is now in jeopardy.

Sources (English)- CNN, BBC News

Sources (Spanish)- RCN, El Tiempo

Image- TIME