Over David Perez Restan, alias El Nuevo, former member of the united self-defense forces of Colombia (AUC), should serve 20 years in prison for his involvement in the six peasants’ massacre in San José de Apartadó village (Antioquia).
As a result, the Fifth Specialized Criminal Court of the Circuit of Antioquia determined that Perez Restan was responsible for aggravated homicide and aggravated conspiracy to commit crimes. The facts are related to the death of the peasants Pedro José Zapata Vasquez, Eliodino Rivera, Humberto Sepúlveda David, Diofanor Correa Borja and the brothers Rigoberto and Jaime Guzman Borja, caused by paramilitaries on July 8, 2000.
The victims were laid on the floor and killed with several bursts of rifle, after being identified as FARC militiamen or guerrilla informants.
Perez Restan, demobilized from AUC Pacific bloc, was sentenced to 40 years in prison; but a reduction of half of the sentence was granted by recourse of Plea Bargain. The decision was appealed by a Prosecutor of the National Unit of Human Rights and International Humanitarian Law on the grounds that the accusation was brought by murder of protected persons, not aggravated homicide.