This was reported by the Director General of the Victims Unit, Ramón Alberto Rodríguez, during the day to dignify and compensate 561 victims in Medellín.

With the economic compensation that was delivered in October to 1,286 victims of armed conflict in Antioquia by the Unit for Comprehensive Attention and Reparation to Victims, the 242,000 survivors benefited from this reparation measure to compensate for the damage suffered and improve their life conditions.

The largest day was completed on Tuesday in Medellín, with 561 people residing in Medellín and municipalities of Valle de Aburrá, who participated in an act of dignification and investment orientation of these public monies in recognition of victimizing events such as homicide and forced disappearance of relatives, kidnapping, forced displacement, terrorist acts, sexual violence.

The General Director of the Victims Unit, Ramón Alberto Rodríguez, attended the conference held at Jaime Isaza Cadavid Colombian Polytechnic, where he delivered the first letters with the bank transfers to several victims.

He also pointed out that the “goal of one million victims compensated in Colombia is already met and in Antioquia we have over 240,000 (242,817). This department has a total investment in the repair processes of around 2.7 billion pesos during the execution of the Victims Law”.

Rodríguez stressed that “these resources cannot compensate for the loss of life and the victimizing events suffered, but well invested contribute to improving the quality of life of people over 74, with disabilities or serious illnesses, complying with the priority route of reparation".

Graciela Peláez is one of the people who received the compensation letter from the national director and is aware that “this is not equivalent to the life of my two children killed by the Farc, but it means a great relief for so many needs and a coincidence that I receive as a gift because today I am 77 years old”.

Almost 30 years ago, the murders of her two children in Risaralda "took us out of flight of violence and we had to leave the tearful one", Graciela recalled. Together with her family, she continued her life in Medellín, where she now lives with more tranquility and already has plans to invest her compensation well: “I am going to do a treatment for my eyes and fix a small house that I have”.

Like her, the 561 people who received these economic repairs learned about the offer managed in housing, higher education, savings and pensions.

In total, the Victims Unit has invested 11.9 billion pesos in Colombia for individual reparation, humanitarian and emergency aid, community infrastructure projects and subsidiary support to territorial entities for the care of the affected population because of conflict.

(End/JCM/DFM/LMY)