Miami Herald: Colombian politicians held; paramilitary ties alleged

[Eugene]

Posted on Thu, Feb. 15, 2007

Colombian politicians held; paramilitary ties alleged
BY STEVEN DUDLEY
[e-mail]

BOGOTA - The Colombian government has arrested five national politicians, including
Sen. Alvaro Araújo, the brother of Colombia's foreign minister, and has issued an
arrest warrant for one other politician charging them with links to illegal right-wing
paramilitaries.

The attorney general's office also has summoned the cousin of the senator and
Foreign Minister Maria Consuelo Araújo -- the current governor of the province of
Cesar, Hernando Molina -- to testify about his connections to a former paramilitary
commander and his possible participation in paramilitary murders.

The revelations Thursday came amidst a diplomatic offensive by the Colombian
government in Washington to help secure funds for Plan Colombia II, a multi-pronged
strategy to fight drug trafficking and leftist guerrillas that have plagued this country
for decades. Colombia is the largest recipient of U.S. aid outside the Middle East,
receiving somewhere in the vicinity of $700 million annually.

-snip-

Foreign Minister Araújo did not comment on the arrests, which also included Sens.
Mauricio Pimiento, Dieb Maloof and Luis Eduardo Vives, and Rep. Alfonso Campo. Rep.
Jorge Luis Caballero is still at large. All of the politicians are from the northern coast
of this country of 42 million. They join three other coastal congressmen and one
ex-congressman already in jail on the same charges.

-snip-

Full article: http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/news/world/americas/16709658.htm

Related: Colombia senator arrested for paramilitary links - Reuters

[Judi Lynn]

1. So how great is this? The very week Bush's puppet pal Alvaro Uribe sends

sent his Vice President to Washington to bag the next multi-billion dollar installment of _Bush's U.S. taxpayer-extracted foreign aid, even MORE of Uribe's government is arrested for deep criminality.

From the article:

Colombian Vice President Francisco Santos spent this week in Washington meeting with members of Congress who questioned him about the Colombian government's human rights record. Last month, Colombia's defense minister visited Washington and insisted that Colombia have more flexibility as to where to put the money that comes from the United States.

Foreign Minister Araújo did not comment on the arrests, which also included Sens. Mauricio Pimiento, Dieb Maloof and Luis Eduardo Vives, and Rep. Alfonso Campo. Rep. Jorge Luis Caballero is still at large. All of the politicians are from the northern coast of this country of 42 million. They join three other coastal congressmen and one ex-congressman already in jail on the same charges.
(snip)

The Araújo family has long been part of the highest levels of Colombia's government. Another cousin sits on the Constitutional Court. Foreign Minister Araújo's father was a longtime congressman and senator. Molina's mother was minister of culture. His step father is inspector general.

In interviews with The Miami Herald in December concerning the paramilitary investigation, Foreign Minister Araújo and Governor Molina denied the family had connections to paramilitaries.

Still, the attorney general's office said it was investigating claims that Molina was a member of the right-wing paramilitaries, that he participated in the murder of several members of the Kankuamos indigenous tribe, that he laundered money when he was consul in Guatemala and that he received money from paramilitary leader, Rodrigo Tovar, for his gubernatorial campaign. Molina ran unopposed.
(snip)

The guests of honor are: from the left, Senator Mauricio Pimiento, Senator Dieb Maloof, Senator Luis Eduardo Vives, Rep. Jorge Luis Caballero (who is currently “at large”) Rep. Alfanso Campo, and Gov. Hernando Molina, mentioned in reference to the murdered Kankuamos.

[Judi Lynn]

2. L.A.Times: Scandal in Colombia grows

Scandal in Colombia grows
Five more lawmakers are arrested, accused of having ties to illegal paramilitary groups.
By Chris Kraul, Times Staff Writer
February 16, 2007

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA — The scandal involving alleged links between Colombian lawmakers and illegal paramilitary groups widened Thursday with the arrest of five more members of Congress, including a senator who is the brother of Foreign Minister Maria Consuelo Araujo.

The arrests of Sen. Alvaro Araujo and the others could further tarnish President Alvaro Uribe, who since being reelected to a second term in a landslide last year has been rocked by allegations that some close legislative supporters have ties to the right-wing armies. The arrests are also bound to increase calls that Maria Araujo resign.

The others arrested were Sens. Dieb Maloof, Mauricio Pimiento and Luis Eduardo Vives, and Rep. Alfonso Campo Escobar. Rep. Jorge Luis Caballero was still at large.

The orders were issued by the Supreme Court, which handles criminal investigations involving members of Congress. All those arrested are staunch Uribe supporters.
(snip)

Uribe has been hurt by revelations that some paramilitary leaders have continued to run their criminal empires from jail since demobilizing and pleading guilty in exchange for lighter sentences. Investigations in some cases have confirmed that politicians at the local and national levels who support Uribe were complicit in militia crimes.
(snip/)

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/asection/la-fg-colomb16feb16,1,7290905.story?coll=la-news-a_section