Forensic experts have begun excavation work at a suspected mass grave site in Colombia, where up to 300 bodies are thought to be buried.
The debris landfill site in Medellin, Colombia's second largest city, is reported to be one of the largest urban mass graves in the world, and is suspected to hold the remains of those who disappeared during a military operation in 2002. Then President Alvaro Uribe launched Operation Orion to crack down on left wing militants in the Comuna 13 district.
As the excavation, which will see 20,000 tonnes of earth removed from the site, started on Monday a ceremony was held to honour the victims. Javier Giraldo, a Roman Catholic priest and human rights activist said, "This is the site of one of the most atrocious episodes that weigh down our history and is a stain on our national identity before the entire world".
The excavation only began after years of protests from relatives of the missing, who have also called for the leaders behind Operation Orion to face punishment.
"Today we are showing Colombia and the world that is possible to move mountains," said Caterina Heyck, heading the project for Colombia's chief prosecutor. "The victims' voices have been heard."
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