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227:'s second term, from 2006 to 2010, he gave impetus to a program to weaken armed guerrilla groups in Colombia. The government's defense minister signed a document offering rewards to soldiers who captured or killed guerrillas, as human rights organizations have brought to the attention of international bodies. It was ministerial directive number 29 that established:
278:
Through the end of 2014, the Office of the
Attorney General of Colombia acknowledged receiving complaints of 4,716 murders allegedly committed by members of the security forces, which fit the characteristics of cases such as those of Jaime Estiven, the son of María Sanabria. The Office also reported
254:
From 2010 to 2014, these women protested weekly in Soacha's central plaza, with the support of human rights and neighborhood organizations. The protests were widely covered in
Colombia's social media. In addition, in those years Bernal led petitions in more than ten countries on behalf of Mothers of
250:
In two years, from 2008 to 2010, there were 19 cases of disappearance in Soacha. In response, women gathered at police stations, offices of the
Attorney General, and other spaces. They ended up uniting under the designation of the collective Mothers of Soacha. María Sanabria's son disappeared in the
231:
the payment of rewards for the capture or subduing in combat of armed organizations outside the law, material of war, administration, or communications, and information on activities related to drug trafficking, and payment for information that serves as a basis for the continuation of intelligence
286:
published a report in early 2014 that reflected the slowness of the judicial system against these cases known as "false positives". By the end of 2014, only 294 cases had come to trial, although the majority still awaited sentencing. Meanwhile, studies of
Colombian universities carried out between
240:
The military went to the poor neighborhoods of
Colombia like Soacha to approach young people, mostly sons of single mothers in marginal areas, with the aim of gaining their trust and confidence. Once they managed to take them far from their communities, the military executed these young "soldiers"
215:, 700 kilometers north of Soacha. The autopsy revealed that Fraí Leonardo Bernal died four days after his disappearance after being shot in the face. His mother was not surprised at this detail, given that her son could not fend for himself and lacked the capacity to become a guerrilla.
258:
Among the tasks performed by the members of the collective in Soacha were photographing the groups of soldiers when they were conducting raids and taking away young detainees in trucks, as well as asking the latter for their phone numbers to call their families immediately.
210:
The Soacha police did not search for the missing youths despite the complaints of the mothers, who tried to find them with no results. A doctor from the forensic office called Bernal nine months later to warn her that her son's body was in the morgue of
355:, is part of a series of stories that narrate the struggles and resistance of peasant women to survive the internal armed conflict and their responses to the abuses to which rural, black, and indigenous communities have been subjected.
198:
Bernal had to face the disappearance of her son, who was 26 years old and suffered from a mental disability that caused him to function at a 10-year-old level. The last time she saw him was on 8 January 2008, when he left home in
299:
as an approach to using the performing arts as a form of demanding justice. She later participated in various documentaries and audiovisual works to increase visibility of the work of
Mothers of Soacha.
314:
Also in 2014 the
Mothers of Soacha turned to film to tell the story of their children, of continuing to look for their remains. In 2015 Bernal was featured in the documentary
330:
146:
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709:
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134:, the President of Colombia, to retract statements insulting the memory of the young people of Soacha, presented as guerrillas killed in combat during his
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that approximately 4,000 members of the Army were involved in these cases. As of that date, about 900 soldiers had been indicted.
1000:
907:
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385:
2016 Best
Leaders Award for seeking truth and justice for the 1,000 to 4,000 victims of the "false positives" in Colombia
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in 2016 and has been a champion of the struggle of women whose children were kidnapped and murdered by members of the
735:
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127:
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382:, Barcelona. It was accepted by Luz Marina Bernal, María Sanabria, and three other members of Mothers of Soacha.
878:
632:[Life Stories: Luz Bernal] (in Spanish). Unidad para la Atención y Reparación Integral a las Víctimas
1005:
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The group
Mothers of Soacha has been recognized with various international human rights awards, notably:
681:
462:
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After a decade working as a defender of human rights, in March 2018 she stood for election to the
433:[Luz Marina Bernal, Mother of Soacha (Colombia): 'While I Speak, My Son Will Be Alive'].
379:
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produced an audiovisual piece about the
Mothers of Soacha in their Avanzadoras program, entitled
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151:
82:
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100:
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461:[Judgment of Reparation in Favor of Luz Marina Bernal Parra and Others] (in Spanish).
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same manner as Luz Marina Bernal's, so she and Bernal decided to fight for justice together.
767:[Luz Marina Bernal: 'Women Do Not Give Birth to Children for a War or to Be Sold'].
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881:['Women at the Front', the Story of Seven Colombian Women for Peace Without Fear].
769:
765:"Luz Marina Bernal: 'Las mujeres no parimos hijos ni para una guerra ni para ser vendidos'"
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2004 and 2014 reflected that cases of "false positives" had increased 154% in that period.
188:
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Defenders of human rights and the Mothers of Soacha have explained how the scheme worked:
8:
431:"Luz Marina Bernal, madre de Soacha (Colombia): 'Mientras yo hable, mi hijo estará vivo'"
179:, a group of women who denounced the killings of their children by the armed forces. The
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879:"'Mujeres al frente', la historia de siete mujeres colombianas sin miedo a la paz"
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406:[The Mother of a False Positive that Put Cabal and Uribe in Their Place].
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Luz Marina Bernal is the mother of Fraí Leonardo Bernal, who was murdered by the
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and to promote the actions of the Colombian justice system against inhumanity.
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Soacha, placing a focus on the Colombian justice system and its officials.
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to the south of Bogotá, who passed them off as guerrillas – the so-called
740:
435:
682:"Cuando exigir justicia se convierte en una amenaza de muerte constante"
912:
404:"La madre de un falso positivo que puso en su sitio a la Cabal y Uribe"
352:
657:
823:[Luz Marina Bernal, Mother of 'False Positive' in Colombia]
459:"Sentencia de reparación a favor de Luz Marina Bernal Parra y otros"
204:
30:
267:
262:
Mothers of Soacha is an initiative backed by organizations such as
572:[Luz Marina Bernal, the Memory of Colombia] (in Spanish).
684:[When Demanding Justice Means a Constant Death Threat].
266:. Despite the slow pace of the process, they continue to oppose
941:
200:
48:
603:[The Reality of the Female Gender Around the World].
329:, where her testimony, along with that of Mayerlis Angarita,
318:(Women at the Front, the Law of the Strongest) by journalist
821:"Luz Marina Bernal, madre de 'Falso Positivo' en Colombia"
273:
939:[Luz Marina Bernal, the Voice of the Victims].
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and presented this as a battle against the guerrillas.
601:"La realidad del género femenino alrededor del mundo"
486:[The Victims Who Want to Get into Congress].
191:
of more than 4,500 young people. They are called the
738:[Mothers of Soacha: Ten Years of Struggle].
138:. A judgment of reparation was handed down in 2014.
544:[The Revolution of the Mothers of Soacha].
910:[Women at the Front: Luz Marina Bernal].
851:Colombia: Huellas que no callan [Tráiler]
203:, a city of 800,000 located three hours south of
982:
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232:work and the subsequent planning of operations.
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484:"Las víctimas que quieren llegar al Congreso"
374:2013 Builders of Peace Award, granted by the
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710:"Madres de Soacha – Luz Marina Bernal Parra"
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316:Mujeres al frente, la ley de las más fuertes
937:"Luz Marina Bernal, la voz de las víctimas"
570:"Luz Marina Bernal, la memoria de Colombia"
402:Jaramillo Arango, Juan José (19 May 2017).
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183:has recognized the murder of her son as a
29:
813:
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376:International Catalan Institute for Peace
103:activist, a founding member of the group
16:Colombian peace and human rights activist
1011:21st-century Colombian women politicians
679:
311:(Footprints That Do Not Remain Silent).
876:
734:García de Blas, Sara (8 January 2018).
587:
542:"La revolución de las Madres de Soacha"
983:
908:"Mujeres al frente: Luz Marina Bernal"
736:"Madres de Soacha: Diez años de lucha"
540:Silva Franco, Melissa (27 June 2014).
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763:López, Miguel Ángel (18 March 2017).
762:
650:
905:
655:[Mothers Against Impunity].
627:
245:
1026:People from Cundinamarca Department
680:Argüello, Francisco (6 July 2010).
630:"Historias de una vida. Luz Bernal"
598:
429:Ramajo, Javier (26 November 2016).
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1016:21st-century Colombian politicians
14:
1042:
960:
877:Bollero, David (2 January 2016).
168:, and driving force of the group
996:Colombian human rights activists
793:"Antígonas, Tribunal de Mujeres"
295:Bernal participated in the play
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906:Pozo, Beatriz (27 April 2016).
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651:Tosco, Pablo (25 March 2014).
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492:(in Spanish). 14 February 2018
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297:Antígonas, Tribunal de Mujeres
181:Office of the Attorney General
1:
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118:). She was nominated for the
1001:Women human rights activists
653:"Madres contra la impunidad"
274:Results on "false positives"
223:Toward the end of President
7:
160:Son's disappearance in 2008
95:(born 1960) is a Colombian
45:1960 (age 63–64)
10:
1047:
801:(in Spanish). 20 June 2015
351:, Luz Marina Becerra, and
219:Context of war in Colombia
136:democratic security policy
1031:Colombian women activists
463:National Army of Colombia
213:Ocaña, Norte de Santander
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380:Parliament of Catalonia
93:Luz Marina Bernal Parra
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185:crime against humanity
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714:Amnesty International
309:Huellas que no callan
264:Amnesty International
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130:. She managed to get
866:– via YouTube.
770:El Norte de Castilla
690:(in Spanish). Bogotá
550:(in Spanish). Bogotá
147:Lista de la Decencia
78:Lista de la Decencia
1006:Colombian pacifists
829:University of Cádiz
858:. 28 February 2014
628:Zambrano, Andrés.
367:Nominated for the
967:Luz Marina Bernal
599:Puelles, Míriam.
369:Nobel Peace Prize
331:Patricia Guerrero
246:Mothers of Soacha
193:"false positives"
187:, along with the
170:Mothers of Soacha
128:"false positives"
120:Nobel Peace Prize
105:Mothers of Soacha
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408:Las2orillas
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145:as part of
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985:Categories
949:14 January
921:14 January
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891:14 January
862:14 January
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496:11 January
468:11 January
443:11 January
414:14 January
390:References
353:Vera Grabe
320:Lula Gómez
114:(Spanish:
51:, Colombia
303:In 2014,
971:Facebook
798:El Mundo
687:El Mundo
268:impunity
884:Público
658:El País
378:in the
371:in 2016
942:Semana
205:Bogotá
201:Soacha
143:Senate
49:Soacha
915:blogs
825:(PDF)
349:]
338:]
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97:peace
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951:2019
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282:The
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