On November 9, the President of the Republic, Gustavo Pietro Orrego, held a historic event in which the Colombian state apologized to the victims of the political genocide that the National Union Party (UP) suffered during the 1980s and 1990s.
The event, held in Santa Marta (Atlántico), focused on compliance with an order issued by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights, which recognized state responsibility for crimes committed against UP guerrillas and its leaders.
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At the ceremony held during the fourth summit of the Community of Latin American and Caribbean States (CELAC) with the European Union, the state’s responsibility for the killings, disappearances and political persecution that claimed the lives of more than 6,000 people who were members and activists of the political party was officially recognized.
The genocide against UP – a political party born in 1985 as a result of the peace process between the former Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia and the government of Belisario Betancur (1985) – has cemented itself as one of the most tragic and forgotten pages in Colombian history.
This party, which emerged with the aim of giving a voice to former combatants and promoting democracy in the country, quickly became embroiled in a spiral of violence and persecution that lasted more than a decade.
The birth of the party was initially a sign of hope Peacebuilding, because it will ensure that the signatories of the agreement can participate in the political life of the country without fear of reprisal.; However, with the coming to power of Virgilio Barco in 1986, the situation changed radically.
Instead of protection, UP has been the target of systematic persecution that has included murders, forced displacement, threats, and harassment. The violence was not limited only to the party’s leaders, but also to its bases, resulting in thousands of victims.
According to reports of the Special Judicial Commission for Peace (JEP), at least 5,733 victims of this genocide have been documented, while other organizations such as the Renesitar Foundation, the National Center for Historical Memory and the Inter-American Court of Human Rights have raised the number to more than 6,000.
The victims included 5 members of Congress, 11 representatives, 109 councilors, 8 mayors, and 8 former mayors, all of whom were politically committed to the union.
In 2019, the Inter-American Court condemned the Colombian state for responsibility for genocide against the National Union; The court recognized that although many of the attacks were committed by paramilitary actors, there was also active participation by state agents, either directly or through their tolerance and acceptance of the events.
The court noted that national authorities ignored warnings about the dangers faced by UP militants, which contributed to the genocide.
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