Relatives of the Ecuadorian journalists killed lament that Guacho was not captured alive
The relatives of the three Ecuadorian journalists kidnapped and murdered last April by the FARC dissident Walter Patricio Arizala, alias "Guacho", shot down in Colombia today, acknowledged the work of the neighboring country but regretted that he was not captured alive.
"No death is a reason to celebrate, although we recognize the work done by the Colombian authorities, it is unfortunate that whoever claimed the kidnapping and murder of five people was killed instead of having been captured alive," says a joint communique. the familiars.
Broadcast shortly after the announcement by Colombian President Iván Duque that his armed forces had managed to kill the FARC dissident, the relatives explained that "with his death, the possibilities of accessing the information he possessed also died" on the kidnapping and murder of the FARC. Pául Rivas, Javier Ortega and Efraín Segarra.
"Not only about what happened with Paúl, Javier and Efraín, but also with Óscar Villacís and Katty Velasco and about the links between the narco-criminal organizations and the Ecuadorian institutions," they said.
"Guacho", responsible between January and April for the murder of five civilians and four Ecuadorian soldiers, died today in an operation of the Colombian security forces in the village of Peña Caraño, in the Llorente area, which is part of Tumaco, the municipality of Colombia that has more hectares sown with coca.
But for the relatives, who have called a press conference on Saturday morning to explain their position, "this fact in no way means that justice has been done."
"There are still many questions that have not been answered and many doubts that neither Ecuador nor Colombia have been willing to clear, we will continue to demand that the absolute truth be revealed regarding all the facts surrounding the atrocious crime against the three that are missing. "they said.
They also maintain that "to the extent that the truth has only been handed over halfway" and "the Ecuadorian State has requested the archiving of the precautionary measures ordered by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR)" that investigates the facts, the country attends "the gestation of a road to impunity."
