Hundreds of public servants implicated with paramilitaries in Colombia

( Produced and Translated by the Lawyers Collective “Jose Alvear Restrepo )


TELL ME WHO YOUR FRIENDS ARE, AND I’LL KNOW
WHO YOU ARE

 
Corporación Colectivo De Abogados “José Alvear Restrepo”
José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers’ Collective
Bogotá D.C., Colombia
April 15, 2007

More than 30 thirty political leaders have been detained, including 9 members of congress, 2 governors, 5 mayors, the former director of the Administrative Department of Security, DAS, Jorge Noguera Cote, his information technology specialist, Rafael García Torres, as well as a considerable number of former members of congress, councilmembers, departmental deputies, former mayors and governors, and public servants investigated or with current warrants for their arrest. This is just the beginning of the evident links with paramilitary organizations of all the institutions pertaining to the Colombian State.

These links, endlessly denounced by human rights organizations, began to be revealed in 2005 when paramilitary boss Vicente Castaño asserted that paramilitary organizations had control of 35% of the national congress. Since then and after the detention of Rafael García Torres and the discovery of a personal computer belonging to paramilitary boss Jorge 40 –which included information concerning meetings between paramilitary bosses and hundreds of public servants-, the mass media began to speak of a “pact with the devil.” A jigsaw puzzle was fitting together and links came out into the open concerning the national congress as well as most other regional and national institutions. In particular, an inseparable relationship began to be established between paramilitarism and the national government.

Even though most of the public servants tainted by links with paramilitarism belong or belonged to the governing coalition, which supported Álvaro Uribe Vélez’s presidential campaigns, as well as his first two terms of office, the President has yet to offer a political explanation that deciphers this crisis, has not facilitated the clarification of truth, and to the contrary has provided multiple smokescreens to divert the public’s attention.

It unbelievable that, in the middle of a political negotiation with paramilitary organizations, one of the implicated officials was the then director of the DAS, Jorge Noguera, detained due to his close ties with paramilitary organizations and for providing these organizations with information on unionists, human rights defenders, and other social leaders, many of whom were later murdered. However, it is even more unbelievable that, in spite of the gravity of the situation, the President, instead of holding his subordinate politically responsible for his actions, appointed him consul in Italy, when the investigation had just initiated.

This is just one example of President Uribe’s responses to the accusations implicating officials he directly appointed as well as the leaders of political parties belonging to the governing coalition and the closest advisors to his presidential campaigns.

In this regard, it is not strange that most of the investigated and detained congress members also voted in favor of the Justice and Peace Law, the legal framework for the paramilitary demobilization process, which favors these perpetrators of the thousands of massacres, selective murders, and crimes against humanity.

Additionally, even though the national government claims that these scandals are the result of the truth process achieved through the application of the Justice and Peace Law, this is not certain. All of these truths have come out in spite of the government’s attempts to hide them. These truths have also not come out in the demobilized persons’ spontaneous declarations in the National Prosecutorial Units for Justice and Peace. Instead they have been revealed by the Supreme Court of Justice, through the ordinary courts and prosecutorial units not involved in the application of the Justice and Peace Law.

In this respect, the José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers’ Collective urges President Álvaro Uribe Vélez to give a clear political response to the previously described situation, especially since this crisis directly involves persons that belong or belonged to his political movement. Likewise, we ask the international community to provide ongoing accompaniment, solidarity, and follow-up to this situation in Colombia.

The present document includes a compilation of information concerning some of the implicated public servants. This compilation is a part of a close follow-up –as of yet unfinished- of the information published by national media concerning this scandal over the last year, in spite of the clear censorship and self-censorship and the multiple distractions that have attempted to “obscure” the truth of these publications.
 
For more information, please consult: <www.colectivodeabogados.org <http://www.colectivodeabogados.org> >.

“[T]he atypical political consolidation in 2002 and 2003 in the departments along the Caribbean coast (especially in César, Magdalena, Córdoba and Sucre, in addition to Santander, Norte de Santander, Antioquia, and parts of Boyacá) was preceded by a wave of killings and intimidation occurring between 1998 and 2001.”[1] <#_ftn1>

“[C]ertain congressmembers have credentials that are built upon the blood of innocent citizens […]. In Magdalena, circumstances still do not exist for the next elections to be free. It also must be said clearly and directly that democracy has been kidnapped in the department and remains kidnapped through a relationship created between certain political groups and the self-defense forces.”
- Representative José Joaquín Vives[2] <#_ftn2>

“If they come for me, they’ll come for ‘La Conchi’, and for President Uribe
and the Inspector General.”
- Former Senator of the Republic Álvaro Araújo Castro [Prisoner][3] <#_ftn3>

“If we talked about what happened every day [in the DAS], people wouldn’t be able to go to sleep.”
- Jorge Noguera, former Director of the DAS[4] <#_ftn4>
 
“I want to close the DAS.”
- President Álvaro Uribe Vélez[5] <#_ftn5>

1. FORMER DIRECTOR OF THE DAS[6] <#_ftn6> Noguera Cotes, Jorge Aurelio
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; wrongful formalization of contracts and inappropriate corrupt practices; aiding and providing information to paramilitary organizations.
Source: Rafael García Torres.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; open criminal process for electoral fraud committed while managing Álvaro Uribe’s presidential campaign in the Department of Magdalena and for having provided paramilitary organizations with a list including 24 union leaders, several of whom were later murdered; also investigated by the Office of the Inspector General; detained on February 22, 2007, while providing testimony and released on March 22 (due to supposed procedural defects).

2. FORMER DIRECTOR OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY AT THE DAS García Torres, Rafael, CONVICTED
Grounds: Unlawful source of income; assets laundering; aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; misrepresentation and fraud; aiding and providing information to paramilitary organizations.
State of Process: Detained since January 2005; currently serving a twenty-one-year prison sentence; confessed to being an active member of paramilitary organizations; also attests that the then director of the DAS, Jorge Noguera Cote, maintained a close relationship with paramilitary boss Rodrigo Tovar Pupo, alias Jorge 40, and revealed that 10% of the most lucrative contracts of the agency ended up in the coffers of said paramilitary boss. Furthermore, he denounced that fraud was committed in some departments along the Caribbean coast in the 2002 congressional and presidential elections, that the DAS filtered information to paramilitaries to murder unionists, and that DAS personnel were conspiring to destabilize the Venezuelan government.

3. FORMER SENATOR Araújo Castro, Álvaro, PRISONER [César, Alas Equipo Colombia, pro-Uribe][7] <#_ftn7>
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime and aggravated kidnapping with extortion;[8] <#_ftn8> presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Rafael García Torres; Jorge 40’s computer;[9] <#_ftn9> Jaime Alberto Pérez Charry.[10] <#_ftn10>
State of Process: Detained on February 15, 2007, by order of the Supreme Court of Justice; resigned from seat on March 27, 2007, in order to be investigated by ordinary justice.[11] <#_ftn11>

4. FORMER MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE AND FORMER SENATOR Araújo Noguera, Álvaro, FUGITIVE [César, Father of Álvaro Araújo Castro]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime and aggravated kidnapping with extortion; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Jaime Alberto Pérez Charry.
State of Process: Fugitive since a warrant for his arrest was issued on March 2, 2007.

5. FORMER CHANCELLOR OF FOREIGN RELATIONS Araújo Castro, Consuela ‘Conchi’ [César, Sister of Álvaro Araújo Castro]
State of Process: Resigned from post due to the presumed links of her brother and father with paramilitary organizations and the grave crime of kidnapping with extortion.

6. FORMER GOVERNOR Molina, Hernando [César, Liberal, First Cousin of Álvaro Araújo Castro]
Grounds: Belonging to a paramilitary structure and using his membership to facilitate reaching the governors’ office; accused of being the intellectual author of a massacre; managing paramilitary financial resources.
Source: Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; called to provide testimony.

7. SENATOR García Romero, Álvaro, PRISONER [Sucre, Colombia Democrática, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; aggravated homicide; embezzlement; promoting, arming, and financing paramilitary organizations.
Source: Communication intercepted by police; Jorge 40’s computer; Jairo Antonio Castillo Peralta (Pitirri).[12] <#_ftn12>
State of Process: Surrendered to the Supreme Court of Justice on November 16, 2006 (fugitive since a warrant for his arrest was issued on September 25, 2006); also investigated by the Office of the Inspector General.

8. FORMER SENATOR Merlano Fernández, Jairo, PRISONER [Sucre, Partido de la U, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Belonging to a paramilitary structure and using his membership to facilitate reaching the Senate.
Source: Jorge 40’s computer; Jairo Castillo Peralta (Pitirri).
State of Process: Surrendered to the Supreme Court of Justice on November 17 (fugitive since a warrant for his arrest was issued on November 8, 2006); resigned from seat on March 27, 2007, in order to be investigated by ordinary justice.

9. REPRESENTATIVE Morris Taboada, Erick, PRISONER [Sucre, Colombia Democrática, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime in association with paramilitary organizations; presumed paramilitary financial support for election campaign; promoting, arming, and financing paramilitary organizations.
Source: Jorge 40’s computer; Jairo Castillo Peralta (Pitirri).
State of Process: Surrendered to the Supreme Court of Justice on November 16, 2006 (fugitive since a warrant for his arrest was issued on September 26, 2006).    

10. FORMER GOVERNOR Arana Sus, Salvador, FUGITIVE [Sucre, Colombia Democrática]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; presumed paramilitary financial support for election campaign; organizing, promoting, arming, or financing paramilitary organizations; homicide.
Source: Pact of Ralito; Jaime Alberto Pérez Charry.
State of process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; fugitive since a warrant for his arrest was issued; additionally the DAS offers a rewards of 50 million pesos for information leading to his capture; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

Senators of the Republic

11. Aguirre, Germán [Risaralda, Liberal, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Jhon Mario Salazar, alias El Pecoso.[13] <#_ftn13>
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General.

12. Cáceres Leal, Javier Enrique [Bolívar, Cambio Radical, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; presumed electoral fraud.
Source: Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: No known investigations.

13. Char Navas, David [Atlántico, Cambio Radical, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; presumed paramilitary financial support for election campaign.
Source: Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice.

14. Díaz Mateus, Iván [Santander, Conservative, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Jhon Mario Salazar, alias El Pecoso.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General.

15. Jattin Corrales, Zulema [Córdoba, Partido de la U, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; presumed paramilitary financial support for election campaign.
Source: Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice.

16. López Cabrales, Juan Manuel [Córdoba, Liberal - Opposition]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito.[14] <#_ftn14>
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

17. Maloof Cuse, Dieb Nicolas, PRISONER [Atlántico, Colombia Viva, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; presumed paramilitary financial support for election campaign; presumed contract irregularities.
Source: Rafael García Torres; Jaime Alberto Pérez Charry; Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: Detained on February 15, 2007, by order of the Supreme Court of Justice.

18. Merheg Marún, Habib [Risaralda, Colombia Viva, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; presumed electoral fraud.
Source: Senator Piedad Córdoba.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General.

19. Montes Alvarez, Reginaldo [Córdoba, Cambio Radical, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito; Rafael García Torres.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito; asked to be suspended from party while investigations pending.

20. Montes Medina, William [Bolívar, Conservative, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito; Rafael García Torres.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

21. Pimiento Barrera, Mauricio, PRISONER [César, Partido de la U, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; aggravated conspiracy to commit crime.
Source: Rafael García Torres; Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: Detained on February 15, 2007 by order of the Supreme Court of Justice.

22. Quintero, Rubén Darío [Antioquia, Cambio Radical, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; presumed electoral fraud.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice.

23. Ramírez Pinzón, Ciro [Boyacá, Conservative, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice.

24. Suárez Mira, Óscar de Jesús [Antioquia, Alas Equipo Colombia, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; presumed electoral fraud.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice; called to provide testimony.

25. Vives Lacouture, Luis, PRISONER [Magdalena, Convergencia Ciudadana, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; presumed electoral fraud; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Rafael García Torres.
State of Process: Detained on February 15, 2007 by order of the Supreme Court of Justice; also investigated by the Office of the Inspector General.
 

Representatives to the Chamber

26. Alfonso López, Héctor Julio [Bolívar, Apertura Liberal, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; presumed electoral fraud.
Source: Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: No known investigations.

27. Caballero, Jorge Luis, FUGITIVE [Magdalena, Apertura Liberal, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; presumed electoral fraud; homicide.
Source: Rafael García Torres; Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: Investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice; fugitive since a warrant for his arrest was issued; also investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for irregularities in the exercise of his duties.

28. Campo Escobar, Alfonso, PRISONER [Magdalena, Conservative, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; presumed electoral fraud.
Source: Rafael García Torres; Pact of Ralito.
State of Process: Detained on February 15, 2007, by order of the Supreme Court of Justice.
 
29. de la Espriella, Miguel [Córdoba, Colombia Democrática, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

30. de los Santos Negrete, José [Córdoba, Conservative, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito; Rafael García Torres.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

31. García Turbay, Lidio [Bolívar, Liberal, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice.

32. Parodi Díaz, Mauricio [Antioquia, Partido Liberal – Opposition]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; presumed electoral fraud.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice; called to provide testimony.

33. Wilchez Carreño, Oscar [Casanare, Cambio Radical, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice.

Former Senators of the Republic

34. Blel Saad, Vicente [Atlántico, MIPOL, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General.

35. Burgos de la Espriella, Rodrigo [Córdoba, Conservative, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; organizing, promoting, arming, or financing paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

36. Gnecco Cerchar, José "Pepe" Eduardo [César, Liberal, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; organizing, promoting, arming, or financing paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

37. Saade Abdala, Salomón [Magdalena, Liberal, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Rafael García Torres.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice; also investigated by the Office of the Inspector General.

38. Sánchez Arteaga, Freddy Ignacio [Córdoba, Liberal, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; organizing, promoting, arming, or financing paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.
 

Former Representatives to the Chamber

39. Benito-Revollo Balsiero, Muriel, PRISONER [Sucre, Conservative, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito; Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: Detained on November 16, 2006 by order of the Office of the Attorney General; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

40. Castro, Jorge Luis [Magdalena, Colombia Viva – Uribista]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General.

41. Feris Chadid, Jorge Luis [Sucre, Colombia Democrática, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; organizing, promoting, arming, or financing paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

42. Gamarra Sierra, José [Magdalena, Cambio Radical, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; also investigated by the Office of the Inspector General.

43. Imbett Bermúdez, José María [Bolívar, Conservative, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; organizing, promoting, arming, or financing paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

44. Montes, Remberto [Córdoba, MIPOL, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; organizing, promoting, arming, or financing paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

45. Ordosgoitia, Luis Carlos [Córdoba, Conservative, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; organizing, promoting, arming, or financing paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

46. Pineda Arcia, Eleonora [Córdoba, Convergencia Ciudadana, pro-Uribe]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; organizing, promoting, arming, or financing paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.
 

Public Servants of the Executive Branch

47. Cuello Baute, Manuel [Former Superintendent of Notary and Registration[15] <#_ftn15> ]
Grounds: Unlawful source of income.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for unlawful source of income; resigned after being accused of using post to seek contributions for the congressional campaign of his brother, Alfredo Cuello, current president of the Chamber of Representatives.

48. Ortiz López, Luis [Former Director del INCODER[16] <#_ftn16> ]
Grounds: Unlawful source of income; aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Inspector General for irregularities in the adjudication of land.

49. Narváez, José Miguel [Former Deputy Director of the DAS]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
State of Process: No known investigations; dismissed by President Uribe in October 2005 after it was revealed that he had provided paramilitary boss Jorge 40 with the president’s armored car in the area of concentration of Ralito.

50. Obdulio Gaviria, José [Presidential Advisor to Álvaro Uribe Vélez]
Grounds: Conspiracy to commit crime; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
State of Process: No known investigations; first cousin with Pablo Escobar Gaviria; his two brothers, Luis Mario and Jorge Fernando Gaviria Vélez, served prison sentences in the United States for drug trafficking.

51. Plazas Vega, Alfonso, Colonel ® [Former General Director of the DNE][17] <#_ftn17>
Grounds: Forced disappearance; unlawful source of income; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice for the forced disappearance of 11 persons who were in the cafeteria of the Palace of Justice (commanded the military operation to regain control of the Palace of Justice on November 6 and 7, 1985); resigned from current post after being accused in Congress of inappropriately handling the assets confiscated from drug traffickers.

52. Segura Aranzazu, Fernando [Former Superintendent of Security and Surveillance][18] <#_ftn18>
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
State of Process: Resigned from post in March 2006, after a police report revealed he had consulted Enilce López, who is currently investigated for assets laundering and supporting paramilitary organizations. Ms. López was also one of the most important individual donors to Álvaro Uribe’s first presidential campaign.

53. Taboada, Roger [Former Director of the Fund for Financing the Agricultural and Livestock Sector][19] <#_ftn19>
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Andrés Felipe Arias, Minister of Agriculture
State of Process: No known investigations; resigned from post after being accused of having granted credit irregularly to alleged drug traffickers.

54. Vives Menotti, Juan Carlos [Former Director of the DNE]
Grounds: Presumed electoral fraud; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Rafael García Torres.
State of Process: No known investigations; implicated in electoral fraud committed in the presidential campaign for Álvaro Uribe along the Caribbean coast.

Officers of the Armed Forces

55. González Medina, Rodrigo, Colonel ®, Former Commander of the Colombia Battalion
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; aggravated conspiracy to commit crime.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; warrant for arrest.

56. Mejía, Hernán, Colonel, Former Commander of the La Popa Battalion [Valledupar, César]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; also investigated by the Office of the Inspector General; while investigation is pending, reassigned to a post with no command over troops.

57. Montoya, Mario, General, Commander of the National Army of Colombia
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), according to the Los Angeles Times on March 25, 2007.
State of Process: According to a CIA document, General Mario Montoya collaborated with paramilitary organizations in order jointly plan and take action to eliminate 14 alleged guerrilla members in Medellín in 2002.

Governors of Departments

58. López, Jose María [Former Governor of Córdoba, Liberal]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; organizing, promoting, arming, or financing paramilitary organizations.
Source: Pact of Ralito.
State of Process: Currently investigated by the Office of the Attorney General; called to provide testimony on his presence at Ralito.

59. Luna Correa, Trino, PRISONER [Magdalena, Liberal]
Grounds: Aggravated conspiracy to commit crime; presumed ties with paramilitary organizations.
Source: Jorge 40’s computer.
State of Process: Dismissed and currently detained (surrendered to authorities on March 13, 2007).

60. Pérez Espinal, William [Casanare, Liberal]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; homicide; promoting, arming, or financing paramilitary organizations.
State of Process: Investigated by the Office of the Attorney General for presumed contract irregularities; currently faces 28 criminal processes.

61. Pérez Suárez, Miguel Angel, CONVICTED [Casanare, Liberal]
Grounds: Presumed ties with paramilitary organizations; presumed paramilitary financial support for election campaign.
State of Process: Investigated by the Supreme Court of Justice; dismissed and detained on September 22, 2007; condemned to a six-year prison sentence for unlawful source of income.
 

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[1] <#_ftnref1> According to Claudia López in her article: “Del control territorial a la acción política”, published by the Corporación Nuevo Arco Iris in its magazine Arcanos on December 11, 2005, “statistics from the Human Rights Observatory of the Vicepresident’s Office demonstrate that from between 1998 to 2001, in the very departments where atypical voting occurred for congressional and municipal offices (for example, a candidate would overwhelmingly win with 70% of the vote in one municipality), massacres had also increased by 140%, and those presumably committed by paramilitaries had increased by 664%. Additionally, homicides had increased by 33% and selective homicides were also registered. This was double the national average in 52 municipalities in 1998 and in 63 municipalities in 2002. In other words, the atypical political consolidation in 2002 and 2003 in the departments along the Caribbean coast (especially in César, Magdalena, Córdoba and Sucre, in addition to Santander, Norte de Santander, Antioquia, and parts of Boyacá) was preceded by a wave of killings and intimidation occurring between 1998 and 2001.”

[2] <#_ftnref2> Mas allá del control territorial. El Espectador, Bogotá, Colombia, January 22, 2006.

[3] <#_ftnref3> El senador Álvaro Araújo confiesa que estuvo en una fiesta con 'Jorge 40' antes de su desmovilización. Magazine Semana, Bogotá, Colombia, November 16, 2006.

[4] <#_ftnref4> La Pesadilla del DAS. Observatorio de Derechos Humanos y Derecho Humanitario (Coordinación Colombia-Europa-Estados Unidos), 2006.

[5] <#_ftnref5> Crisis en el servicio secreto de Colombia. Miami Herald, EEUU, November 1, 2005.

[6] <#_ftnref6> The Administrative Department of Security (DAS) is the principal Colombian intelligence agency and also functions as the secret police. The DAS undertakes strategic intelligence, criminal investigation, migratory control, and the protection of senior leaders and persons under threat to contribute to national and foreign security concerns, preserve the integrity of the constitutional regime and defend national interests.

[7] <#_ftnref7> The information presented appears in the following order: 1. post; 2. name; 3. administrative region; 4. political party; 5. if he or she belongs to the governing coalition.

[8] <#_ftnref8> This refers to the kidnapping of the politician and businessman Víctor Ochoa Daza, which, according to the Court, favored the electoral interests of Álvaro Araújo.

[9] <#_ftnref9> On March 11, 2006, personnel from the Technical Investigation Unit (CTI) of the Office of the Attorney General detained Édgar Ignacio Fierro Flórez, alias Don Antonio, second in command to paramilitary chief Rodrigo Tovar Pupo, alias Jorge 40, who had in his possession two computers, two USB devices, several compact discs, and a large amount of hand written documents.

[10] <#_ftnref10> On November 23, 2006, Jaime Alberto Pérez Charry, member of paramilitary chief Rodrigo Tovar Pupo’s organization and who was a key witness for the case concerning the police officers that confiscated three tons of cocaine in Barranquilla in August 2002 and later returned it to paramilitary organizations. He also provided testimony before the Supreme Court of Justice on the case of the agreements between paramilitary organizations and members of congress.

[11] <#_ftnref11> In cases involving members of the legislative branch the Supreme Court of Justice has the jurisdiction to investigate and try.

[12] <#_ftnref12> Jairo Antonio Castillo Peralta (Pitirri) was a bodyguard for Joaquín García, a rancher from Sucre, and former governor Salvador Arana. Castillo was a witness to several meetings in which dozens of crimes were planned and several murders implicating politicians, prosecutors and members of the public force.

[13] <#_ftnref13> According to testimony by paramilitary Jhon Mario Salazar, alias El Pecoso, he and Jesús Ignacio Roldan, alias Monoleche, committed a homicide as a favor for the mayor of the Bucaramanga, Santander.

[14] <#_ftnref14> The Pact of Ralito was signed in 2001 <http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/2001>  between the chiefs of Colombian paramilitary organizations and more than fifty politicians from different regions of the country (senators, representatives, council members, and mayors, among others) as a part of a political project meant to "re-found the county". In November 2006, the existence of this pact was revealed by representative Miguel de la Espriella <http://es.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Miguel_de_la_Espriella_%28pol%C3%ADtico%29&amp;action=edit> .

[15] <#_ftnref15> The Superintendency of Notary and Registration watches over, inspects and controls the rendering of public services of notarization and registration.

[16] <#_ftnref16> The Colombian Institute for Rural Development (INCODER) implements agricultural and livestock policy, agrarian reform and the turning over of land to the internally displaced population.

[17] <#_ftnref17> The National Anti-Narcotics Office (DNE) assesses and supports the National Anti- Narcotics Council and the national government on the formulation of policies and programs concerning the fight against the production, trafficking and use of addictive drugs, as well as the administration of the confiscated assets.

[18] <#_ftnref18> The Superintendency of Security and Surveillance issues licenses to bear any kind of weapon to persons or private enterprises in Colombia, which also includes security enterprises and cooperatives.

[19] <#_ftnref19> The Fund for Financing the Agricultural and Livestock Sector (FINAGRO) is dedicated to promoting the agricultural and livestock sector through the granting of credit and loans.







Colombia Support Network
P.O. Box 1505
Madison, WI  53701-1505
phone:  (608) 257-8753
fax:  (608) 255-6621
e-mail:  csn@igc.org
http://www.colombiasupport.net