On Monday, Colombian authorities began excavation work at a landfill on the outskirts of the city of Medellin, in the hopes of uncovering the corpses of civilians that disappeared during Colombia's recent civil war.

In 2002, the Colombian government executed military operations aimed at combating rebel forces such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC. The operations resulted in as many as 300 people killed, now buried in the La Escombrera landfill.

The landfill of bodies has since remained an open secret, as well as a very public symbol of the Colombian government overstepping its bounds on its citizenry. Families of the victims are now hoping to find some closure, as Colombian authorities have started the process of exhuming the mass grave, according to Al-Jazeera. 

Carlos Villamil, a prosecutor for transitional justice, feels that it would have been hard for the Colombian government to begin the exhumation any earlier, saying, "Today we have new legislation, also the reduction of violence means we can reach these areas."

"So I would say our response is in accordance to the evolution of the conflict," he told the network.

Relatives of the dead held a ceremony at the site on the outskirts of the city of Medellin before the excavation began. Video of that gathering can be seen on Reuters.

The 2002 operation, which was ordered by Colombia's then-president Álvaro Uribe, employed the services of right-wing paramilitaries.

Colombia's Interior Minister Juan Fernando Cristo, described the pre-dig ceremony as “moving and a commitment to peace and reconciliation."

As reported by the BBC, Luz Elena Galeano, leader of a women's organization fighting for justice for missing relatives, was heartened by the progress being made on the dig. Galeano said, "It took us 13 years to get here. This is a drop of hope."

The dig comes as Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos has just ordered government forces to suspend air strikes against FARC camps. As the BBC reports, President Santos said, "From now on, this type of bombing will only be done by explicit order of the president."

Over 200,000 people have been killed since hostilities between the Colombian government and the FARC began back in 1964.