Ex-General Sentenced in Paramilitary Killings
In the first such verdict against a top Colombian officer in a human rights case, a former army general has been convicted of failing to defend a town during a 1997 killing spree by a right-wing paramilitary death squad.
A military tribunal sentenced Gen. Jaime Humberto Uscategui late Monday to a 40-month term in the massacre of at least 22 people in the southern town of Mapiripan.
In the killing spree, gunmen based in the north allegedly flew into a military-controlled airport en route to the town, where they slit victims’ throats and dumped their bodies into a river after accusing residents of collaborating with leftist guerrillas.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
