Colombian commando detainees in Haiti held in untenable conditions – Ombudsman

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Office of the Colombian Ombudsman denounced today that the 18 Colombian ex-military detainees held in Haiti for their alleged involvement in the assassination of President Jovenel Moïse are being held in overcrowded cells, unable to communicate, and have been handcuffed since their arrest.

“This is a place where there is no sunlight, so they have not had access to sunlight during their detention. Since their arrest, they have been held in handcuffs 24 hours a day, some of them individually, others in pairs,” said Colombian Ombudsman Carlos Camargo.

According to a statement, the detainees sleep on the floor, receive two meals a day and 20 liters of water for the eighteen Colombians and two Haitians.

The Ombudsman’s Office asked for constant medical assistance as some of the detainees showed signs of fatigue, weight loss, reddened wrists, and scratches due to rubbing against the metal of the handcuffs.

“One of them was limping, another could not hold himself upright and had to be supported by his companion,” the ombudsman said.

The conditions of the retired soldiers are known after a meeting between a commission of the Ombudsman’s office and the Colombian prisoners in a Port-au-Prince prison.

The commission’s report states that the Colombians have not been allowed to speak with a lawyer since their detention, nor have they been brought before a judicial authority.

“Although they have been interrogated several times by the Haitian police and the FBI, they have not had the assistance of a lawyer to technically defend themselves,” the document from the ombudsman’s office states.

On the other hand, they have not received antibiotics, and several had stitches on their heads that were placed upon their arrival and have not been removed after more than 20 days.

In addition, three of them have “serious injuries that should be treated in a specialized medical facility due to their appearance.”

In addition, the Ombudsman’s Office insisted that they receive legal assistance because their fundamental rights have been violated. “Legal assistance and technical support for the 18 Colombians detained in Haiti are urgently needed to ensure respect for their fundamental rights, especially the right to due process and the right to defense, which have not been respected so far,” Camargo said.

According to Haitian police, 18 retired Colombian soldiers were captured (out of 26 detainees), and three others were killed in Moise’s assassination.

According to the official investigation, the assassination was carried out by a detachment of 26 Colombian mercenaries who entered the presidential residence in the early hours of July 7 without encountering resistance from the security forces guarding the house, located in the Pelerin sector of Port-au-Prince.