Colombia Confronts a Painful Legacy on 40th Anniversary of Palace of Justice Siege

3 hours ago7 min read1 comments

Four decades after the Palace of Justice siege, Colombia confronts a national tragedy whose profound consequences continue to resonate. On November 6, 1985, the M-19 guerrilla group seized the building, the symbolic heart of the nation's judiciary, taking hundreds hostage.The two-day standoff ended in a ferocious military assault and a devastating fire that left over 100 people dead or missing, including 12 Supreme Court justices. While the guerrillas' stated aim was to put President Belisario Betancur on trial for allegedly breaking a peace pact, the state's violent response has become the subject of enduring scrutiny and condemnation.Evidence points to the army executing survivors and the intentional destruction of human rights case files, fueling allegations of a state-sanctioned massacre. The siege's impact was catastrophic, crippling the judiciary at a critical moment and emboldening powerful drug cartels by eliminating the very judges set to extradite their leaders.For the families of the victims, the 40-year mark is not a milestone of healing but a painful reminder of an unresolved search for truth and accountability. As modern Colombia navigates complex peace processes, the Palace of Justice stands as a solemn monument to the dangers of impunity and the enduring cost of a nation's unfinished reckoning with its past.

#Colombia

#Palace of Justice

#M-19

#guerrilla siege

#40th anniversary

#conflict

#Bogota

#featured

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