Earthquake exposes potential conflict victims' remains in Colombian cemeteries

An earthquake that recently struck central and southwestern Colombia has inadvertently unearthed disturbing evidence in cemeteries, potentially shedding light on the country's long-standing armed conflict. In the town of Roldanillo, located in the Valle del Cauca department, the seismic event caused several vaults to rupture, exposing human remains.

Images circulating on social media show black bags containing skeletal remains, some still clad in military camouflage and rubber boots. These findings have prompted immediate attention from the Unit for the Search of Persons Given Up for Missing (UBPD), a body established under the 2016 peace agreement with the FARC. Experts from the UBPD are set to examine the exposed remains to ascertain how and when these individuals died.

“

From August 10th, when the events occurred, we have undertaken the task of diagnosing cemeteries of forensic interest for the search in order to establish the level of damage and define which ones require priority attention.

The earthquake, which occurred on August 10th, caused significant damage in Roldanillo, resulting in two deaths, over 400 injuries, and substantial property damage. Following the tremors, the UBPD began assessing cemeteries in the affected regions of Risaralda, Valle del Cauca, and Quindío. Roldanillo's cemetery has been prioritized for specialized examination between August 24th and 29th.

Officials expressed concern that seismic activity could disturb unmarked graves and unidentified remains, complicating future search and identification efforts for those disappeared during the conflict. The UBPD is working to safeguard the affected sites and ensure that the natural disaster does not further hinder forensic processes. Humanitarian measures are also being implemented for the handling and transfer of any discovered bodies.

“

As a state entity, we must do enough to safeguard the bodies and the sites that have been affected by the disaster.