Colombia’s Petro and Army apologize for “false positives”

In an apology that has been overdue from a head of state for more than a decade, Colombian President Gustavo Petro, alongside high-ranking military officials, issued a formal apology on Tuesday for the extrajudicial killings of 6,402 civilians during the nation’s tumultuous internal conflict. These killings, commonly referred to as “false positives,” were orchestrated by the armed forces to artificially inflate the body count between the years 2002 and 2008.

Addressing the nation from Bogotá’s historic Plaza de Bolívar, Petro acknowledged the gravity of the atrocities committed during those years, stating, “We must confront our painful past with unwavering resolve. Today, on behalf of the Colombian government, I stand before you to offer a sincere and heartfelt apology to the victims and their families.”

In a 45-minute speech that interrupted news broadcasts, President Petro continued: “I allow myself to ask for your forgiveness, mothers. You are the mothers of all Colombia; you are the motherland. The blood of your children, hopefully, irrigates the furrow of the beautiful Colombia we will be tomorrow, of the powerful army we will be tomorrow. Not to kill, but to live the beautiful life that we will be tomorrow….a global powerhouse of life.”

With these words, President Petro acknowledged the responsibility of the Colombian state for the murders of 19 youngsters in the municipality of Soacha, and in Bogotá, committed by members of the National Army while Álvaro Uribe Vélez was President.

The ceremony was attended by Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, the Commander of the Armed Forces, General Helder Giraldo, and Army General Luis Mauricio Ospina. The mothers of the 19 victims from Soacha held photographs of their murdered sons as President Petro went on to claim that “greed and power killed 6,402 young people.”

According to figures released by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) tribunal, at least 6,402 Colombians were victims of illegitimate deaths falsely presented as guerrilla combat casualties between 2002 and 2008. “The first thing we have to achieve is to defeat concealment, darkness. The first thing we have to achieve is to bring out the truth,” stated Petro.

This apology marks a critical moment for the Colombian President, given that Attorney General Francisco Barbosa released to Congress the official testimony of Petro’s son Nicolás Petro Burgos. The Attorney General has recommended lawmakers open an official investigation into illicit funds that allegedly entered Petro’s 2022 campaign and violated finance limits. Despite a growing political scandal that also implicates First Lady Verónica Alcócer, President Petro was willing to address the painful legacy of the “false positives” with the families of the victims. “We must rebuild society on different foundations,” he said. “To rebuild an army based on the values of democracy and the Constitution.”