Colombia's JEP to try ex-congressman for FARC complicity

Colombia's Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has announced it will initiate an adversarial trial against former congressman Luis Fernando Almario Rojas. He faces accusations of complicity in severe crimes against humanity perpetrated by the former FARC guerrilla group, notably the massacre of the Turbay Cote family.

The trial proceedings are scheduled for July 22 and 23 in Bogotá. An adversarial trial is a JEP process activated when a defendant does not admit responsibility or fails to provide full truth during investigations. According to the investigation, Almario Rojas, a member of the Conservative Party, was involved over 25 years ago in a criminal plan with the FARC. The objective was to eliminate the Liberal Party, associated with the Turbay Cote family, from the department of Caquetá and consolidate political control in the southern region.

The JEP alleges this politically motivated persecution included the murder and kidnapping of at least 30 leaders, sympathizers, and collaborators of the Liberal Party. Among the victims were six mayors, a councilman, a congressman, a deputy, and a governor. Almario Rojas is specifically linked to the December 29, 2000 massacre, where FARC guerrillas killed Diego Turbay Cote, then president of the House of Representatives' Peace Commission, his mother Inés Cote de Turbay, and five companions. The family was ambushed while traveling between Florencia and Puerto Rico for a political event.

If found guilty after this procedure, Almario Rojas could face up to 20 years in prison. The JEP highlighted that individuals who acknowledge their responsibility can benefit from restorative justice sanctions, a path taken by the former FARC leadership in 2025. Since its inception, the JEP has issued 182 indictments against the FARC for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and severe violations of international humanitarian law during Colombia's armed conflict.