Widow Testifies at a Military Court

[kandrathe]

I had a friend, Juanita, who got in trouble for sleeping around. We were friends since we were civilians, and we shared a tent together. The commander said that it didn’t matter that she was my friend. She had done something wrong and had to be killed. I closed my eyes and fired the gun, but I didn’t hit her. So I fired again. The grave was right nearby. I had to bury her and cover her with dirt. The commander told me: “You did very well, even though you started to cry. You’ll have to do this again many times, and you’ll have to learn not to cry.” --Human Rights Watch interview with “Angela” Bogotá, 2 June 2002

“Seven weeks after I arrived there was combat…it was an attack on the paramilitaries. We killed about seven of them. They killed one of us. We had to drink their blood to conquer our fear. Only the scared ones had to do it. I was the most scared of all, because I was the newest and the youngest.” -- “Adriana”, a Colombian girl recruited to the opposition Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). -- She was 12 at the time of this incident.

I understand about war zone and having to defend oneself. But, I can still be sad about it. We can still try to find peace somehow.