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| Caribbean-Latin America |
| Colombian Military Kills 21 Paramilitaries In Casanare, Colombia |
| 2004-08-28 |
| The fighters were from the A.C.C. (Autodefensas Campesinas del Casanare)whose leader is Héctor Buitrago, also known as MartÃÂn Llanos. Men of the Colombian National Army killed them during operations between Villanueva y Monterrey (Casanare.) The action took place near San MartÃÂn, in the jurisdiction of Villanueva. General Justo Eliseo Peña, commander of the 16th Army Brigade states that they found 18 rifles (1 Galil, 15 AK-47 & 2 R-15,) two rocketlaunchers, a Magnum pistol, 11, 858 rounds, 74 clips & 29 grenades. The Army forces also decommissioned a communications radio, a telephone, an electric generator, 23 uniforms, military clothing, as well as 22 armbands with the initials A.C.C. & 40 with the initials A.C.C.U. According to General Peña, as many as 35 fighters may have died, but some fell into the waters of the Túa River. Among those thought to have been knocked into the Túa River is "El Pavo", or The Turkey, fourth in command of the A.C.C. "El Pavo", according to General Peña, participated in an attack against members of the Army in Caribayona, Villanueva, this past February that killed several soldiers. He indicated that in that region of southern Casanare the A.C.C. has extorted money from the civilian population, robbed & stolen & threatened local farmers & ranchers. The "MartÃÂn Llanos Group" of the A.C.C. has suffered hundreds of casualties (some observers, including a rival faction called the Centauros Block, or Bloque Centauros, estimate as many as a thousand casualties.) The Bloque Centauros is part of the national federation of paramilitaries called the A.U.C., or Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, which is in peace negotiations with the Colombian government. Villavicencio & Bogotä correspondents contributed to this report. -El Tiempo, Bogotä, Colombia translation by Geoffrey LaMear aka Kentucky Beef |
| Posted by:Kentucky Beef |