Colombia will investigate US soldiers’ alleged involvement in raping an indigenous child
This story was first published on Jan 22, 2022 on our original website
The indigenous children of Colombia are being raped and sexually exploited at the hands of U.S. and Colombian soldiers.
Around 118 U.S. and Colombian soldiers have been accused of sexually exploiting Indigenous children in exchange for items needed for basic survival, such as food and money, as well as other items such as drugs.
According to Colombia Reports, the abuse of these children took place around clubs often visited by soldiers in the San José del Guaviare area.
One of the victims, a 10-year-old girl from San José del Guaviare, was reported to have been raped and impregnated in 2019 by a U.S. soldier who lived near her.
After news of her rape came to light, Bogota council member Jose Cuesta demanded the extradition of the soldier accused, and the scope of these investigations began to expand.
But Colombia’s army is no stranger to abuse allegations.
Colombia’s army has been involved in numerous cases of abuse in the past, such as the 2020 investigation of the alleged gang rape of a 15-year-old Indigenous girl by eight soldiers. In another 2020 case, a 13-year-old girl was raped by seven soldiers, who later received only 16 years in prison for their crimes.
Despite advancements in modern technology, such as DNA testing for a pregnant individual, according to The Daily Beast, the U.S. army currently has no tangible evidence to open an investigation into the heinous acts committed against these innocent, indigenous children. But the U.S. army believes “further inquiry is possible.”
“Since 2019, an investigation has been underway at the prosecutor’s office into 118 members of the army for rape in San José del Guaviare. I hope they have made sufficient progress to take appropriate action,” said Gustavo Petro, president of Colombia, in a statement on Twitter.
Ilana Garnica