memorandum of justification concerning human ... - Just the Facts

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displacement of 11 civilians, and the death of four of them, on January 3, 2006, in
Vista Hermosa (Meta). On that date, members of the Army‘s 12 th Mobile Brigade and
17 th Counterguerilla Battalion were allegedly accompanied by a representative from
the Department of Administrative Security (DAS) and two members of the Prosecutor
General‘s Office in Villavicencio as they allegedly conducted investigations, during
which 11 civilians were disappeared and/or displaced. On August 24, 2006, the
bodies of three of the four of those who disappeared were exhumed. (Prosecutor
General‘s Office Number 3226)
(20) Army Colonel (retired) Carlos Hugo Ramírez Zuluaga
(21) Army Captain Milton Guillermo Corso Ussa
H. Trial proceedings continued before the 2nd Penal Circuit Court in Villavicencio
(Meta) against seven soldiers from the Army (indicted November 29, 2007) for simple
kidnapping and aggravated homicide for their alleged involvement in the kidnapping
and subsequent homicide of Eduardo Pérez Vega in the Ciudad Porfía neighborhood
of Villavicencio (Meta) on July 27, 2007. Pérez was allegedly kidnapped from an
internet café and forced to board a truck assigned to the GAULA Casanare. The next
day, Pérez‘ body was discovered in the municipality of Hato Corozal (Casanare).
(Prosecutor General‘s Office Number 4044)
(22) Army Major Gustavo Enrique Soto Bracamonte
(23) Army Lieutenant (retired) Jhon Alexander Suacha Florian
(24) Army Second Corporal Gelver Pérez García
(25) Army Professional Soldier Carlos Alfredo Bello Bolívar
(26) Army Professional Soldier Abdón Guanaro Guevara
(27) Army Professional Soldier Elio Ernesto Celis Bedoya
(28) Army Professional Soldier Jhony Higuera Moreno
I. The case against nine members of the Army‘s 14 th Battalion (Antonio Ricaurte‖) from
the 5 th Brigade is before the Penal Judge in the Bucaramanga Circuit Court following
the second instance of confirmation of the indictment against them on April 23, 2008.
The nine (indicted June 6, 2007) are charged with aggravated homicide for their
alleged involvement in the deaths of Edison Alberto Martínez Pacheco and Edit
Salcedo Vergen on May 31, 2005, in Los Planes, within the municipality of La
Experanza (Norte de Santander). On October 16, 2007, the Inspector General
removed them all from their positions and deemed them inadmissible for public
service for 20 years. (Prosecutor General‘s Office Case Number 2256)
(29) Army Captain William Ovidio Lara Ramírez
(30) Army Professional Soldier Cristian Santos Rey
(31) Army Professional Soldier Edgar Mauricio Araque Pérez
(32) Army Professional Soldier Mauricio Yesid Araque Quintero
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