Colombia's courts pursue harsh sentences for former paramilitary leader and ex‑FARC commanders

Colombian prosecutors from the Justice and Peace unit have asked a court to impose a prison term of 40 to 60 years on Juan Francisco Prada Márquez, known as “Juancho Prada,” a former AUC paramilitary commander blamed for 82 crimes including murders, forced displacement and the killings of journalists in the south of Cesar. The request notes that under the Justice and Peace law he could also receive an alternative eight‑year sentence if he complies with specific conditions.

Separately, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) Appeals Section, chaired by magistrate Eduardo Cifuentes, issued a final verdict convicting the former FARC secretariat for the kidnapping of 21,396 Colombians. The sentence orders eight years of special liberty with mandatory reparative work, such as searches for missing persons and humanitarian de‑mining, and outlines sanctions for non‑compliance.