The US Department of State announced on Friday that the US has designated former Colombian General Mario Montoya Uribe ineligible to enter the country due to “his involvement in gross violations of human rights.”

The decision designates Montoya Uribe and his immediate family members ineligible for entry into the country. The designation by the US is based on evidence linking Montoya Uribe to extrajudicial executions of civilians who were falsely reported as combat casualties during Colombia’s armed conflict. According to Human Rights Watch, the Colombian army under Montoya Uribe’s leadership “systematically murdered thousands of civilians,” marking them as enemies killed in combat. Such incidents are known as “false positives.”

Colombian President Gustavo Petro endorsed the US decision, emphasizing the need to build military forces that protect Colombian citizens and uphold the law. Petro stated that the systematic human rights violations occurred under the false name of “democratic security,” resulting in the displacement of millions and the deaths of thousands of innocent young people.

The designation comes as part of ongoing US efforts to support Colombia’s transitional justice process, and US State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller emphasized continued US support for Colombia’s 2016 Peace Accord and the Special Jurisdiction for Peace. During an October 2022 signing ceremony supporting the implementation of the Ethnic Chapter of the 2016 Peace Accord, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized US commitment to Colombia’s peace process, noting that the United States became “the first international accompanier to the Ethnic Chapter of the Peace Accord.”

While the 2016 Peace Accord between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas marked the end of a five-decade conflict, armed groups continue to emerge in remote regions and generate violence levels similar to pre-accord periods. The Special Jurisdiction for Peace, established under the 2016 Peace Accord to investigate and prosecute serious human rights violations committed during the conflict, continues investigating cases of extrajudicial killings and other crimes.