Uribe's cousin ordered arrested in Colombian death squad probe

[ck4829]

Colombian prosecutors on Tuesday ordered the arrest of President Alvaro Uribe's cousin, a former lawmaker and a close ally, for his suspected ties to paramilitary death squads in a deepening political scandal.

The investigation of Mario Uribe, who has been a political confidant of the president for years, could fuel concerns among U.S. Democrats who oppose a Colombian trade deal partly because of worries over lingering paramilitary influence in politics.

Uribe, a close U.S. partner, has reduced conflict levels by driving back leftist rebels and negotiating the surrender of illegal paramilitary fighters who carried out massacres and trafficked cocaine in the name of counter-insurgency.

But more than 60 lawmakers -- many from political parties allied to the president -- are now under investigation in the so-called "para-political" scandal and at least 32 of those are in jail while prosecutors probe their ties to the militias.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080422/wl_nm/colombia_scandal_dc

[annabanana]

1. "lingering paramilitary influence "

Yep! Thats it alright.