Human rights developments in Colombia and Paraguay

In Colombia, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has returned the remains of Diomedes de Jesús Daza Williams and Luis Alexander Cáceres Angarita to their families, 19 years after their deaths. The two men, residents of Bucaramanga, were killed in Tona, Santander, on September 5, 2007. Investigations revealed they were victims of the ‘false positives’ pattern, where members of the military’s 5th Engineer Battalion killed civilians and falsely presented them as combat casualties by dressing them in military clothing.

Four individuals involved in the case have confessed and entered the JEP’s non-punitive route, receiving a waiver of criminal prosecution contingent upon their continued cooperation with the peace system. Magistrate Mauricio García noted that these killings were part of a broader pattern of murders and forced disappearances by public forces.

In Paraguay, the Supreme Court has unanimously confirmed Deny Yoon Pak as a prosecutor within the Specialized Unit against Organized Crime. Pak, who has been a key figure in the ‘A Ultranza’ case, was praised by Supreme Court Minister Carolina Llanes for his commitment and expertise. The confirmation follows previous political friction regarding Pak’s career and his efforts to investigate drug trafficking structures.