Civilians Killed
On Feb. 21, the first day of the Colombian military's counter- insurgency offensive, air force bombs killed three civilians, including two children, in the village of La Y, about a four-hour drive north of San Vicente del Caguan, according to family members and official complaints filed with Colombia's human rights prosecutor. Local residents who witnessed the bombings said those killed were Saul Quesada, his 2-year-old son Yesid, and 15-year-old Keni Losada. Four other people were reported injured. Journalists saw the victims' bodies brought in to the San Vicente morgue. Residents said there were no rebel camps near La Y, but there were bulldozers doing work along the road, which could have been mistaken for FARC machinery.
Gen Tapias Suggest "Misinformation"
The armed forces said they would investigate the incident before accepting blame. "Don't forget, we are in a situation where they are trying to disinform, where there are guerrillas dressed as civilians," said Armed Forces chief Gen. Fernando Tapias. "Guerrillas are managing information and trying to generate misinformation." [MH 2/23/02]
Pastrana Visits Former Rebel Capital, Promises Development
On Feb. 23, after two days of bombing, President Pastrana arrived in San Vicente de Caguan, where he was greeted by army commander Gen. Jorge Enrique Mora. Wearing a black cap bearing Colombian army insignia, Pastrana handed out Colombian flags, notebooks and school backpacks to local residents in the town's central plaza. He also met with local government officials and promised to carry out a series of development projects in the zone. [ENH 2/24/02; CNN en Espanol 2/23/02 from AP] Pastrana was accompanied in San Vicente by several military attaches from the US embassy. [MH 2/24/02]
From the
Weekly News Update on the Americas (ISSN 1084-922X), published by the Nicaragua Solidarity Network of Greater New York, 339 Lafayette St., New York, NY 10012, 212-674-9499,
wnu@igc.org.
Paramilitaries Use Aircraft
Human Rights Watch Reports on Colombia
