Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

Judi Lynn

(160,219 posts)
Tue Apr 22, 2014, 06:07 PM Apr 2014

‘Uribe’s former business partner, chief of staff helped create paramilitary death squad’

‘Uribe’s former business partner, chief of staff helped create paramilitary death squad’
Apr 22, 2014 posted by Adriaan Alsema

An assassinated rancher with business ties to former President Alvaro Uribe financed the formation of the “Bloque Metro” paramilitary group in coordination with the then-governor’s chief of staff, a demobilized paramilitary commander testified.

The alleged meeting



Luis Alberto Villegas (L) and Pedro Juan Moreno

According to Ever Veloza, locally better known as “HH,” he met up with Uribe’s then-chief of staff, Pedro Juan Moreno, at a paramilitary-run car dealer across the street from the army’s 4th Brigade in southwest Medellin in 1996.

~snip~

MORE: New book reveals Colombian ex-leader Uribe’s alleged paramilitary ties

However, Uribe is not the only politician with alleged ties to paramilitary death squads; More than 45 former congressmen and six former governors are imprisoned for having sought political gain through deals with illegal armed groups. 140 more former congressmen have criminal investigations pending.

FACT SHEET: Parapolitics

HH and 13 other paramilitary leaders were extradited without court order by the Uribe administration in 2008 at the height of the “parapolitics” scandal. The mass extradition was fiercely criticized by the Supreme Court, the Prosecutor General, human rights organizations and victims, some of who claimed the government was trying to prevent the paramilitaries from revealing more ties to Colombia’s political elites.

More:
http://colombiareports.co/uribes-former-business-partner-chief-staff-helped-create-paramilitary-death-squad/

Latest Discussions»Region Forums»Latin America»‘Uribe’s former business ...