00:00Yes, Father Javier Giraldo Moreno, one of the leading ethical voices in the fight against paramilitarism activity in Colombia
00:07and guardian of the San Jose de Apartado Peace Community, passed away in Bogotá at the age of 81.
00:13The cause of his death was a fall at his home that led to a critical condition despite the efforts
00:18of San Ignacio Hospital.
00:20Trained in liberation and theology and inspired by the legacy of Camilo Torres,
00:24Giraldo dedicated his life to documenting the massacres and paramilitary terror.
00:29From the Center for Research and Popular Education, he coordinated the Human Rights Database
00:34and founded the Intersearch Commission for Justice and Peace.
00:38His research demonstrated how paramilitarism emerged under the protection of Degree 3398 of 1965.
00:45His legacy includes a dozen books.
00:48He spoke of the fiction surrounding the demobilization of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
00:54and, this very year, the location of the remains of Camilo Torres.
00:58Giraldo leaves behind an invaluable archive for understanding how paramilitarism operated
01:04and how it persists in Colombia.
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