Another torturer being made to answer for his crimes:
A federal jury in Memphis yesterday found a former military colonel from El Salvador responsible for crimes against humanity during that country's civil war in the 1980's and ordered him to pay $6 million in damages.
The nine-member jury found that the colonel, Nicolás Carranza, had "command responsibility" for the torture of a Salvadoran who was forced to confess falsely to killing an American military adviser, Lt. Cmdr. Albert Schaufelberger, in 1983.
Colonel Carranza was the vice minister of defense, El Salvador's second-highest military commander, from 1979 to 1981, and in 1983 he was head of the Treasury Police, the most notoriously violent of the country's security forces.
I always find it amazing when these ex-military people make claims or insinuations that they did not exert control over their subordinates:
Mr. Carranza, 72, testified that he served under the minister of defense and had no independent authority to order torture or killings. He said he made many efforts to train and discipline the forces under his control. "I tried to do my best," he said.
Her goes on to say that the "only stain" on his career was his colloboration with the CIA. As opposed to his inability to exert command control over his subordinates, assuming that his rather self-serving defense is anything other than pernicious nonsense.
The case was brought by the Center for Justice and Accountability. Go check them out; they're doing great work.
Recent Comments