Massacre of Trujillo

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Massacre of Trujillo
Map location of the municipality of Trujillo
Location	Trujillo, Valle del Cauca Department  Colombia
Date	1988-1990 (EDT)
Attack type	mass murder, massacre
Weapon(s)	unknown
Deaths	aprox. 107
Perpetrator(s)	Paramilitary groups and Cali Cartel members (prominently Juan Carlos Ortiz Escobar and Henry Loaiza-Ceballos)

The Massacre of Trujillo (Spanish: Masacre de Trujillo) was a series of murders perpetrated by paramilitaries and members of the Cali Cartel in the town of Trujillo, Valle del Cauca Department in southwestern Colombia between 1988 and 1990.

Some 107 suspected unionists and guerrilla supporters were tortured and dismembered. The murders were seen as a warning to other pro-guerrilla elements. Most of the corpses were thrown into the waters of the Cauca River.^[1]

[edit] Judicial Proceedings

The Colombian government declared itself guilty of negligence and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights was also notified of the case.^[2]

Some members of the Cali Cartel accused of participating in this massacre were Henry Loaiza-Ceballos "aka The Scorpion" and Juan Carlos Ortiz Escobar "aka Knife".^[3][4]

On March 19, 2008, the Attorney General of Colombia accused retired Colombian Army Major Alirio Antonio Urueña Jaramillo, former Colombian National Police Lieutenant José Fernando Berrio and former Sergeant Aníbal Álvarez Hoyos for their involvement with a paramilitary group during the massacre.^[5]

In March, 1990, Major Urueña was the acting commander of the Palacé Battallion in Buga which was engaging in counterinsurgency operations against the ELN guerrilla, Lieutenant Berrio Velásquez was acting commander of the police station in Trujillo and former Sergeant Álvarez Hoyos was in charge of the Sijin in Tuluá.^[6]

[edit] References