THE Colombian military and police colluded with paramilitaries to carry out atrocities including massacres and the forced displacement of thousands of people, according to testimony from a former commander in what was once Colombia’s largest paramilitary federation, the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC).

Over four days Salvatore Mancuso, who was once the AUC’s second-in-command, appeared via video in front of judges at the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), the transitional justice court created in the 2016 peace agreement to investigate and prosecute major human rights violations committed during the armed conflict.

The proceedings were conducted for judges to determine whether Mancuso can provide new and concrete evidence to the JEP, thereby permitting him to formally enter its jurisdiction. This would make him eligible to receive a reduced sentence in return for shedding light on AUC activities.