El Colombiano (Medellín)
Thursday, 24 February 2000
NOTE: The following is the text of an open letter sent by the General Staff of Colombia's death-squads the "United Self-Defense Groups of Colombia" (AUC) to Pablo Elias Gonzalez Mongui, director of the Technical Investigation Corps of the Office of the Prosecutor-General (CTI) -CLM-News Moderator
"The General Staff of the AUC categorically deny your tendentious statements regarding the alleged cruel practices which, according to you, were employed by the AUC during the raid on the encampment of the 37th Front of the FARC [Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia] in the El Salado region.
We hope that these false accusations have arisen from the distortion of reports by witnesses in the service of the FARC. Otherwise, the biased attitude on the part of the representative of the most important investigative organization in the country would be of grave concern.
In the Maria Mountains, the FARC's 37th Front operates under the command of Marin Caballero and Emmanuel Ortiz. The latter deserted from the FARC with 15 of his men, due to internal problems in the organization, and joined the AUC's troops. It was under the direction of this guerrilla commander that 350 AUC men invaded the Maria Mountains. After three days of sustained combat, which resulted in 20 casualties from our ranks and 35 from the guerrilla force, the guerrillas under attack stirred a peasant migration and mixed in with the crowds. Our troops set siege, since, with the guidance of the deserter guerrillas, they were able to distinguish who the guerrillas were. In this rebel war, civilian and uniformed guerrillas alike are military targets of the AUC. We take responsibility in this regard.
Dr Gonzalez Mongui, we ask you to prove the slanderous allegations you made. Do not deceive the country, because the AUC are prepared to answer for our actions, but we will not allow facts to be distorted."
© 2000 El Colombiano
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