The Palace of Justice: A Colombian Tragedy

Carrigan's chilling book is a reconstruction of the most spectacular magnicidio (``slaughter of great men'') in Colombian history. This tragic event occurred in 1985 when guerrillas of the M-19 Revolutionary Movement invaded the Palace of Justice in Bogota and made hostages of the 300-plus civilians in the building. Carrigan recounts how Chief Justice Alfonso Reyes unsuccessfully sought rescue from President of the Republic Belasario Betancur, who cravenly turned the affair over to the military. In the Army's nightmarish counterattack, the troops killed guerrillas and civilians indiscriminately, including Reyes and 10 other justices of the country's supreme court, plus uncounted others. Carrigan's vivid description of this horror is followed by an account of a classic whitewash by the government, in which she remarks that the very concept of justice seems to have died in Colombia, as rampant violence against judges continues. A Colombian-Irish writer and filmmaker, Carrigan is the author of Salvador Witness: The Life and Calling of Jean Donovan. Illustrations. (Oct.)