Popayán, July 5 (SP). “Just four years ago the idea of victims as beneficiaries of the right of truth, justice, compensation and guarantees was not in the national conscience. And it was just beginning to appear in the international conscience.

Today, these rights of the victims have solid roots in the national and international public agenda and dozens of associations of victims have emerged all around the country.

This is one of the most important achievements of the Justice and Peace Law: the visibility of the victims and their rights.

Este es uno de los resultados más importantes de la Ley de Justicia y Paz: la visibilización de las víctimas y sus derechos.

To accomplish that, we had to go further than the 975 Law of 2005 (better known as the Justice and Peace Law) which suggested a judicial compensation. More than a year ago, we suggested President Uribe that, taking into account the great number of victims in Colombia, we must accelerate this process through an administrative compensation.

Judicial processes, with full guarantees as established in a rule of law, are slow, and today we only have one conviction (to aka ‘El Loro’), despite the commitment and dedication of the Attorney General’s Office. That is why we feel glad that President Uribe accepted the administrative compensation. Today we are celebrating the results of this decision.

What is the idea of compensation that the National Commission of Compensation and Reconciliation is leading?

We have accepted the idea most usual at an international level, which state that reparation is a policy of recognition and compensation for the damages and the violated rights. For the Nccr an integral policy of compensation must be oriented to support the victims to rebuild their projects of life.

A project of life which suffered a violent break caused by an antipersonnel mine, sexual abuse, kidnapping, conscription, murder or disappearance of a member of the family.

We are aware that atrocious crimes cause irreparable damages. No one can be the same after a traumatic experience. That is why compensation is an attempt to repair the irreparable.

How can you compensate the murder of a son? How can you compensate the permanent physical damage of an antipersonnel mine? How can a woman get over a sexual abuse?
There is always going to be psychological consequences. However, many victims have showed us their capacity to overcome pain and rebuild their project of life.

This is the goal of this act.

It is not about just to give an amount of Money. All the money of the world is not enough to fill that hole that a son can leave.

But for the victims is recognition for the damages that criminal groups have caused them, recognition for their rights, the commitment of the authorities to guarantee that this acts will never happen again, all this could be a relieve for their pain.

That is why the important think today is not the monetary compensation. The important think today is that the authorities of the country, led by the President of the Republic, are telling you with our hearts open that we feel all the pain that you have suffered, that we are hurt for the damages that criminal groups have caused you, and above all that in the name of all Colombians, that were not able to avoid this situation, we want to ask for your forgiveness.

In the name of the National Commission of Compensation and Reconciliation I ask for your forgiveness.