Former key paramilitary commander released from prison
Former key paramilitary commander released from prison
One of the most important commanders of the now-defunct paramilitary organization AUC was released on Thursday, after having spent eight years in prison.
Freddy Rendon, a.k.a. El Aleman, had been sentenced to more than 50 years in prison for the recruitment of more than 300 child soldiers for the Bloque Elmer Cardenas he commanded between 1997 and 2006, the year he demobilized. Additionally, his paramilitary group has been accused of drug trafficking, sex crimes, massacres and the displacement of more than 900 farmers whose land allegedly ended up in the hands of El Aleman and his allies.
Thanks to a peace deal made between the administration of former President Alvaro Uribe and the AUC, the former paramilitary chief only had to serve eight years in prison in exchange for his collaboration with justice and reparation of victims who did report their victimization.
El Aleman is the second paramilitary commander to be released from prison. The first one, Sancocho, was released in May and assassinated in his home town of Medellin three weeks later. The newly released former paramilitary chief has also received death threats because of his declarations that left a National Army General and several politicians, including the cousin of former President Alvaro Uribe, in prison.
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