“I am very glad to communicate the international opinion (…) that in the first two weeks of June Colombia will begin to give compensations to the victims. We will begin to pay out the first 100 million dollars to the first 12 thousand victims” the Head of State pointed, during the dinner hosted in honor to the Prince and Princess of Asturias.

Bogotá, May 27 (SP). President Álvaro Uribe Vélez made an announcement to the international community concerning to the beginning of the compensation of the first 12 thousand victims of violence with 100 million dollars.

That was stated by the Leader during the dinner hosted in honor of the Prince and Princess of Asturias, Felipe de Borbón and Letizia Ortiz, this Wednesday at the Casa de Nariño.

“I am very glad to communicate the international opinion, through you, that in the first two weeks of June Colombia will begin to give compensations to the victims. We will begin to pay out the first 100 million dollars to compensate the first 12 thousand victims”, President Uribe said.

This announcement was made in reference to the Fifth International Conference about Victims of Terrorism, which will be lead by the Prince Felipe de Borbón at the city of Medellín. The Head of State reminded that in Colombia “the victims did not claim because they were too afraid or because the found it useless”.

The Colombian Leader added that the compensation processes will be objectively administrated by an external Compensation Commission (the National Commission for Compensation and Reconciliation) conformed by people from different political tendencies.

This way – according to a previous press release published by the Ministry of Interior and Justice, the National Commission for Compensation and Reconciliation and Acción Social – Colombia will be a world pioneer “in the application of transitional justice, despite of the continuous terrorist threat”.

The administrative compensation will begin with the victims categorized as priority by the Administrative Reparation Committee, which includes injured by antipersonnel mines and children forced to join illegal groups.