Colombian Military Captures 57 Paramilitaries

May 2, 2001 - 0:0
BOGOTA The Colombian military have dealt an unprecedented blow to right-wing paramilitaries by arresting 57 members of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) on the same day Washington listed the group as a terrorist organization. Defense Minister Luis Fernando Ramirez announced late Monday that the 57 AUC members were captured in one of the military's largest operations against right-wing militants. The paramilitaries, captured in weekend military operations along the border of Valle and Cauca provinces, are suspected of participating in the April 12 massacre of 40 peasants in Alto Naya, 650 kilometers (400 miles) west of here.