Diplomat confirms Mario Uribe's 'ties' with AUC

[Judi Lynn]

Diplomat confirms Mario Uribe's 'ties' with AUC
Friday, 08 October 2010 08:40
Adriaan Alsema

Colombia's former consul in Spain on Friday gave further evidence for allegations that Mario Uribe, former senator and cousin of former president Alvaro Uribe, had ties to extradited drug trafficker and AUC member Juan Carlos Sierra, alias "El Tuso."

According to Ignacio Guzman, "El Tuso" accompanied Victor Horacio Uribe, brother of the now-jailed politician, on a trip to Spain. In an interview with W Radio, the former consul said Uribe asked the diplomat to pick up his brother from the airport. Guzman told the radio station he was surprised to see Uribe's brother had "quite an ugly" travel partner.

According to Guzman, he was unaware of the identity of "El Tuso" and allowed the drug trafficker to use his car. This car - with diplomatic license plates - was used by "El Tuso" to visit potential Spanish buyers of Colombian cocaine.

~snip~
The Colombian government extradited Sierra and Murillo to the U.S. in May 2008 without approval of the Supreme Court. The extradition led to criticism by paramilitary victims groups that the government was attempting to halt revelations by paramilitary leaders that incriminated politicians.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/12269-diplomat-confirms-alleged-ties-between-mario-uribe-and-auc.html

(My emphasis.)

[naaman fletcher]

1. just curiousq

As a progressive, do you believe in blood guilt?

[Peace Patriot]

3. "As a progressive," I would be happy to see Alvaro Uribe's crimes stand on their own merits.

But since even the Jesuits are giving him cover, I doubt we'll ever see him in the dock. The bastard.

He ran one of the most criminal regimes in Colombia's history, maybe in the history of the world. Massive domestic spying--spying on judges, prosecutors, the political opposition, trade unions; thousands of innocent people murdered, for merely trying to exercise their human and civil rights; out of control military, killing innocent people and dressing their bodies up like FARC guerillas, to up their 'body counts' to earn bonuses; out of control rightwing paramilitary death squads; 5 MILLION peasant farmers displaced, their lands given to beauty queens and rich political allies; 70 of Uribe's closest political associates under investigation or already in jail for death squad ties, bribery, drug lord ties and other crimes...the list goes on, including a ponzi scheme perpetrated by Uribe's sons, that bilked thousands of small investors.

And you think this guy who are president for eight years, while all of this was occurring, had nothing to do with these crimes, did not benefit from these crimes, shouldn't be thoroughly investigated for these crimes, was oblivious to these crimes? HE. WAS. IN. CHARGE.

It's not his family that points to his guilt. Nor even his political cohorts. It's HE HIMSELF. He was president during this crime wave. Commander-in-chief.

Or maybe you think he is just a dimwit like his pal Bush Jr. I sometimes think that about Junior. How can anyone that stupid, that inarticulate, someone who could barely deliver his teleprompted, ear-phoned lines, have thought up outing CIA agents, or the "Patriot Act," or how to use 9/11 to advantage, or secret torture dungeons around the world, or the "Project for a New American Century," or any of it? If I were on a jury, what would I do with him? I'm not really sure. Of course he will never be in the dock either. "Made men" don't get prosecuted. But still, I wonder how much that cokehead was really responsible for the horrors he signed off on. That stupid "My Pet Goat" stare really makes me wonder. Evil, yes. Responsible, I'm not sure. Maybe should be in an asylum, not a jail. But I have no such doubt about Uribe. I think he's a conniving, murderous, cold-eyed, intelligent thug--more comparable to Rumsfeld and Cheney. And the Jesuits who gave him a cushy academic sinecure have a lot to answer for.

[naaman fletcher]

4. I never said that he shouldn't be investigated.

Although he was not as bad as the forum's new local hero, Chairman Mao.

[Judi Lynn]

2. Paramilitary chief says Mario Uribe received gifts

Paramilitary chief says Mario Uribe received gifts
Monday, 04 October 2010 07:09 Manuela Kuehr

http://colombiareports.com.nyud.net:8090/pics/politics/mario_uribe.jpg

Extradited paramilitary leader Juan Carlos Sierra, "El Tuso," accused former senator Mario Uribe of having received gifts, newspaper El Tiempo reported on Monday.

At his first hearing of the Justice and Peace process from his U.S. prison, "El Tuso" said that he was a friend, protector and financier of the political campaigns of Uribe Escobar.

"El Tuso" affirmed that for more than a decade he has done "many favors" for the Antioquian politician, who is currently on trial for a paramilitary scandal before of the Supreme Court.

Sierra said he gave Uribe gifts, including a $890,000 farm, a car and a watch for his 50th birthday. "I do not think Mario was so naive as not to know that the money came from illegal activities," he added.

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/12166-paramilitary-chief-says-mario-uribe-received-gifts.html