El Aro massacre

Infobox terrorist attack
title = El Aro massacre


caption =
location = municipality of Ituango, Antioquia Colombia
target = Civilians / presumed guerrillas
date = October 22, 1997
time =
timezone =
type = shooting, mass murder,
fatalities = 15
injuries =
perps = United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC)
weapons = small arms

El Aro massacre ( _es. Masacre del Aro) was a in Colombia occurred on October 22, 1997 in the municipality of Ituango, Department of Antioquia. 15 leftist supporters of the FARC were massacred by paramilitary groups with support of members of the Colombian army. Perpetrators also violated women, burned down 43 houses, stole cattle and forcedly displaced 900 people. [ [http://www.novacolombia.info/nota.asp?n=2008_4_23&id=44229&id_tiponota=1 es icon Noticias Nueva Colombia: Presidente Uribe investigado por masacre del Aro] ] [ [http://www.eluniverso.com/2008/04/23/0001/14/7537100A264E4D4FA602D4ABFA35C3D3.aspx es icon El Universo: Álvaro Uribe revela que es investigado por masacre en 1997] ]

The Third Section of the Council of State determined that the Colombian government was responsible for the massacre and ordered to pay damages to the victims' families. [ [http://www.elcolombiano.com.co/BancoConocimiento/O/olac_condenadalanacionpormasacredelaro_24102007/olac_condenadalanacionpormasacredelaro_24102007.asp es icon El Colombiano: Condenada la Nación por la masacre del Aro] ]

On November 23, 2008, Colombian President, Alvaro Uribe announced that there was a witness to the massacre that was involving him as one of the masterminds along General Ospina, General Rosso and paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso. The witness, a former member of the paramilitary group later identified as Francisco Enrique Villalba Hernández [ [http://caracol.com.co/noticias/583839.asp es icon Caracol Radio: El testigo que acusa al presidente ya está condenado por la masacre de El Aro] ] said that "Uribe had thank them for the massacre because they had help freed 6 hostages, including one of his cousins and that Uribe's brother had lend 20 paramilitary members for the crime" and that they had met in the town of La Cuacana to plan the massacre. [ [http://www.novacolombia.info/nota.asp?n=2008_4_23&id=44229&id_tiponota=1 es icon Noticias Nueva Colombia: Presidente Uribe investigado por masacre del Aro] ] [ [http://www.eluniverso.com/2008/04/23/0001/14/7537100A264E4D4FA602D4ABFA35C3D3.aspx es icon El Universo: Álvaro Uribe revela que es investigado por masacre en 1997] ]

Uribe answered that these declaration showed inconsistencies because involved an official in the supposed meeting that had died months prior to the events. Uribe mentioned that "since 1988 public officials knows where I've been, where I have slept and with whom I have met". Uribe was Governor of Antioquia between 1995 and 1997 during which a program of legal paramilitary groups known as CONVIVIR were formed to combat the guerrillas. [ [http://www.novacolombia.info/nota.asp?n=2008_4_23&id=44229&id_tiponota=1 es icon Noticias Nueva Colombia: Presidente Uribe investigado por masacre del Aro] ] [ [http://www.eluniverso.com/2008/04/23/0001/14/7537100A264E4D4FA602D4ABFA35C3D3.aspx es icon El Universo: Álvaro Uribe revela que es investigado por masacre en 1997] ]

Uribe was also questioned by congressman Gustavo Petro about the use of a Department of Antioquia government owned helicopter that was allegedly used to transport the paramilitaries to the region of El Aro to perpetrate the massacre. Uribe denied these claims saying that all the helicopters had a recorded flight history. He was also questioned a beeper message intercepted to one of the paramilitaries involved in the massacre that said "Te recuerdo llamar al Gobernador. Preséntame y que yo lo visito en la tarde" (I remind you to call the governor. Introduce me and I will visit him in the afternoon). Uribe defended himself from these claims saying that the criminals could have used the term "governor" as a slang to refer to anything. [ [http://www.semana.com/wf_InfoArticulo.aspx?idArt=102254 es icon Revista Semana: El Presidente Uribe revela que Al Gore se niega a sentarse en la mesa con él por las “calumnias” que lo vinculan con paramilitarismo] ]

Imprisoned paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso affirmed that these people had died in combat and were not civilians, but guerrillas. Mancuso was sentenced to serve 40 years in prison for the massacre. [ [http://www.novacolombia.info/nota.asp?n=2008_4_23&id=44229&id_tiponota=1 es icon Noticias Nueva Colombia: Presidente Uribe investigado por masacre del Aro] ] [ [http://www.eluniverso.com/2008/04/23/0001/14/7537100A264E4D4FA602D4ABFA35C3D3.aspx es icon El Universo: Álvaro Uribe revela que es investigado por masacre en 1997] ] [ [http://www.semana.com/wf_InfoArticulo.aspx?idArt=96142 es icon Revista Semana: Una historia de dolor] ]

ee also

*List of massacres in Colombia

References