Senator Petro's statement on the detention of President Uribe's cousin
(Translated by Stephanie DiBello, a CSN volunteer translator )
MARIO URIBE COULD BE TAKEN TO THE INTERNATIONAL COURT FOR TRIAL
Bogotá, April 22nd, 2008:
Mario Uribe, cousin of President Alvaro Uribe, continues his efforts to evade the Colombian justice system. If the Colombian justice system is unable, or unwilling, to put Mario Uribe to trial, and if he is granted political asylum in Costa Rica, his case will have to be taken to the International Court for trial. I cannot imagine he is asking for political asylum because he is being persecuted by his cousin, the President of Colombia.
What Mario Uribe is doing is evading the Colombian justice system; first of all, he resigned from his seat in Congress in order to evade being brought to the Supreme Court of Justice. And now that the Attorney General has issued an arrest warrant he is asking for asylum. If this happens, the cousin of the Colombia’s president is a fugitive of the law and President Uribe will have to ask for his extradition from Costa Rica.
What is happening with Mario Uribe, who is not only the cousin of the president but also co- founder with President Uribe of the political party Colombia Democratica, whose members are incarcerated for their paramilitary activities, is an indication of how deeply entrenched the Colombian government is in the world of parapolitics.
Colombia cannot renounce its right to truth, nor its victims rights for reparations, which are at stake in the case of ex-senator Mario Uribe.
Those politicians who are incarcerated for paramilitary ties become accomplices to commit crimes which are typified as crimes against humanity, which would give the International Court reason to take them to trial.
Senator Gustavo Petro
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
MARIO URIBE COULD BE TAKEN TO THE INTERNATIONAL COURT FOR TRIAL
Bogotá, April 22nd, 2008:
Mario Uribe, cousin of President Alvaro Uribe, continues his efforts to evade the Colombian justice system. If the Colombian justice system is unable, or unwilling, to put Mario Uribe to trial, and if he is granted political asylum in Costa Rica, his case will have to be taken to the International Court for trial. I cannot imagine he is asking for political asylum because he is being persecuted by his cousin, the President of Colombia.
What Mario Uribe is doing is evading the Colombian justice system; first of all, he resigned from his seat in Congress in order to evade being brought to the Supreme Court of Justice. And now that the Attorney General has issued an arrest warrant he is asking for asylum. If this happens, the cousin of the Colombia’s president is a fugitive of the law and President Uribe will have to ask for his extradition from Costa Rica.
What is happening with Mario Uribe, who is not only the cousin of the president but also co- founder with President Uribe of the political party Colombia Democratica, whose members are incarcerated for their paramilitary activities, is an indication of how deeply entrenched the Colombian government is in the world of parapolitics.
Colombia cannot renounce its right to truth, nor its victims rights for reparations, which are at stake in the case of ex-senator Mario Uribe.
Those politicians who are incarcerated for paramilitary ties become accomplices to commit crimes which are typified as crimes against humanity, which would give the International Court reason to take them to trial.
Senator Gustavo Petro
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
posted by CSN at 3:06 PM
<< Home