Action Requested against Colombian General involved in Dirty War in Colombia

Retired three-star General Farouk Yanine Diaz is currently residing in the metropolitan Washington, 
DC area, and working as a professor at the Inter-American Defense College. This man has been 
involved in political murder in Colombia for at least 16 years, and for the first time in Colombia's 
history, the Ministry of Justice has ordered his arrest. However, Yanine is being protected from 
prosecution in Colombia by virtue of his U.S. visa and residency. This is an outrage, and we call 
upon all people of conscience to demand that his U.S. visa be revoked and his teaching contract with 
the Inter-American Defense College be suspended.

Farouk Yanine Diaz's arrest was ordered July 25th, based upon evidence of his participation in one 
of the worst massacres of the Dirty War in Colombia -- the disappearance and murder of 19 
merchants from Santander, in the Middle Magdalena region, on October 6, 1987. According to 
testimony, some from other military officials, Yanine (Commander of the Army's Second Brigade) 
gave his permission and support to a paramilitary group for the massacre of these merchants who had 
been accused of supporting guerrillas. The principal author of the massacre, Alonso de Jesus 
Baquero Agudelo, received 200 million pesos to perpetrate the massacre and members of the Army's 
Second Division told the paramilitaries of the merchants' itinerary.

In addition, accounts have been published about Yanine's involvement with political murders, dating 
back to January 24, 1984, when 8 people were murdered by a paramilitary group in Cimitarra, 
Santander. As commander of the Fourteenth Brigade, in 1984-85, Yanine assisted and protected the 
death squad "MAS". In August 10, 1987, the mayor of Sabana de Torres, Santander was 
assassinated. One of the assassins was killed and found to be carrying a special pass signed by an 
Army official. Yanine was believed involved but his role was never investigated. And in Turbo, 
Uraba, 20 banana workers were murdered by paramilitaries, and evidence showed that the killers 
were recruited by the Army. But Yanine again escaped investigation.

Please help us bring this man to trial in Colombia for the crimes he has been accused of.

Please write to the following people, requesting that the U.S. State Department revoke his visa, and 
request an immediate congressional investigation into the collaboration of the U.S. military, drug and 
intelligence agencies with known Colombian human rights violators.

Mr. Jeffrey Davidow
Ass't Sec for Inter-American Affairs
Dept of State
2201 C Street NW
Washington, DC 20520

Your Senators and Congressional Representative

Also, please write to the Director of the Inter-American Defense College and ask he remove General 
Yanine from his position:
Lt. General John C. Thompson
Director, Inter-American Defense College
Fort McNair, Bldg 52
4 & P Streets SW
Washington, DC 20319

Please send copies of your correspondence to CSN. Thank you.
9/19/96
Colombia Support Network       PO Box 1505      Madison, WI 53701
(608) 257-8753       fax 608 255-6621    csn@igc.apc.org     http://www.igc.apc.org/csn/