BOGOTÁ, Colombia — The commander of Colombia’s army resigned abruptly Tuesday in a widening scandal over the killing of scores of civilians, allegedly spurred by promotion-seeking officers to inflate rebel body counts.
Gen. Mario Montoya won wide acclaim for the bloodless hostage rescue of Ingrid Betancourt and three U.S. military contractors on July 2.
Montoya’s resignation after 39 years of service follows stinging criticism of an army policy he allegedly encouraged of promoting officers whose units kill the most leftist rebels. Human-rights groups say that policy encouraged soldiers in recent years to kill scores — perhaps hundreds — of civilians who were presented as guerrillas slain in combat. Prosecutors say they are investigating more than 90 army officers in such cases.
