JEP charges 12 for paramilitary crimes in Barrancabermeja

The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has charged 12 individuals with war crimes and crimes against humanity regarding a paramilitary takeover of the oil port Barrancabermeja between 1998 and 2000. The accused include nine former Army officers, two former Police officers, and a former security chief from the state-owned oil company Ecopetrol.

According to the judicial ruling, these individuals formed a criminal alliance with paramilitary groups, specifically the Bloque Central Bolívar and the Autodefensas de Santander y el Sur de Cesar (AUSAC). While the stated objective was to expel guerrilla forces, the JEP found that the repressive apparatus arbitrarily targeted residents of eastern neighborhoods, labor unions such as the Unión Sindical Obrera (USO), and human rights defenders from CREDHOS.

The impact of this period was severe; in 1998 alone, violent incidents attributed to state agents in Barrancabermeja increased by over 1,309%. Investigations indicate that during this period, 431 people were murdered and 85 were forcibly disappeared.