"Blood Coal - A contract killer in Colombia" - 16 February 2021

Germany has been importing a large part of its coal from Colombia for many years. But it is stained with blood and pain. Colombia has long been plunged into a spiral of violence from which mining companies and Europe benefit.

Coal mining in Colombia causes serious human rights violations and environmental destruction. Expulsions, expropriations and violence against the civilian population are the order of the day. El Samario, a former soldier of the paramilitary groups, talks about the countless murders he carried out on behalf of international coal suppliers. The report illustrates a murky chapter in Colombian current affairs that is closely linked to Europe and delves into the mind of a contract killer: what drove him to do such a thing and how does he deal with the memories and the guilt? Can a murderer ever be forgiven, and can a murderer ever forgive himself?