In the microphones of The W, with Julio Sánchez Cristothe High Commissioner for Peace, Otty Patino, responded to critics who questioned his words in which mourned the death of alias ‘Hermes’a guerrilla leader of the Second Marquetaliajust when the dialogue table was set up with this organization outside the law.
See here
The senior official assured that received some type of information about the operation against this leader of the Second Marquetalia and asked for an investigation to clarify the facts. Furthermore, he added that this type of operations by special forces, of which he was aware, could break trust with a group that decided on peace.
“This fact could break trust with an organization that has precisely stated that the reason for their existence is non-compliance and entrapment.. In such a way that it was worth saying a few words of mine so that given the desire to sit at the table and develop a peace process with the National Government we can sit under a new perspective and under a new situation,” he added.
Patiño added that He will speak with the high command of the Army and the Military Forces to counteract the information about the operation.
“It is a divergence that we have with the information that the Minister of Defense has, I hope that the minister is right and if he is right I will correct it in a timely manner. Based on the information I had at that time, He told me that it was a very serious situation and I spoke with him the day before when the events occurred.“, he pointed out.
In addition to this, he insisted that the Second Marquetalia has respected the truce with the military forces.
“The truce of not attacking the military forces has been respected and they have urged not to attack the population and they set the bar very high and Now the Government must examine the conditions for dialogue with this group. And so talk about a de-escalation of the war”he added.
The senior official also said that he has always regretted the death of any person in the country.
“I have mourned the deaths of many people and have protested the atrocities that the ELN has committed, kidnappings for example and deaths of Army men and the civilian population,” he added.
Finally, responded to criticism made by former president César Gaviria.
“I was not Gaviria’s peace advisor who ordered actions that led to exclusion. Gaviria’s opinions do not deserve much respect” he concluded.
“An investigation must be carried out to clarify the death of ‘Hermes’”: Otty Patiño
