Colombian left tries to link Uribe to "paras"

juancegomez says on Apr 18, 2007, 10:30:

Uribe Family Tied to Paramilitaries, Senator Says (Update1)


By Helen Murphy

April 17 (Bloomberg) -- Colombian opposition Senator Gustavo Petro said paramilitary rebels operated out of farms owned by members of President Alvaro Uribe's family in the 1990s.

A member of the leftist Polo Democratico Alternativo party, Petro said in an address to Congress that Uribe helped create the illegal forces. He said his allegations were based on dozens of documents and testimonies from a former paramilitary member and two government soldiers once active with the militia groups.

Uribe, who governed central Antioquia province from 1995 to 1997, has repeatedly denied involvement with the groups. The discussion in congress of Uribe's past comes amid a broader investigation into alleged ties between lawmakers and paramilitaries that led to the detention of 14 members of Uribe's ruling coalition.

``These were rural organizations that organized to defend themselves, and most of them were unarmed,'' Interior Minister Carlos Holguin said following Petro's address.

The allegations threaten the passage of a free-trade accord with the U.S., said Bertrand Delgado, an economist with IdeaGlobal Inc. in New York. Michigan Democratic Representative Sander Levin, chairman of the House trade subcommittee, said the developments are ``very worrisome'' and Colombia can't count on passage of the agreement, the Washington Post reported Feb. 17.

President George W. Bush said on a March 11 visit to Bogota that his administration is committed to the agreement.

Colombian prosecutors are seeking evidence paramilitary leaders and members of congress had an agreement under which legislators would support the fighters in return for votes.

`Lot of Noise'

The son of a rancher murdered in a 1983 kidnap attempt, Uribe used legal armed militias, known as Convivir, created by the national government to combat terrorism as governor of Antioquia, one of Colombia's most violent provinces.

Petro said the militias were infiltrated by death squads.

Political uproar may factor in the debate among U.S. lawmakers as they consider additional anti-drug and military aid this year under the so-called Plan Colombia program, designed to fight narco-guerrillas.

``This will create a lot of noise, but it will pass,'' said Delgado.

About 30,000 paramilitary fighters accepted Uribe's offer to hand in their weapons in exchange for cash and reduced jail terms, part of his plan to ease violence in Colombia caused by four decades of fighting among paramilitaries, guerrillas and government troops.

To contact the reporter on this story: Helen Murphy in Bogota at hmurphy1 at bloomberg.net
Last Updated: April 17, 2007 22:09 EDT

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=ayFSUu9QO2Jk&refer=latin_america

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juancegomez says on Apr 18, 2007, 10:32:

Colombian Senator: Death Squads Met At Uribe's Ranch
Scandal Over Paramilitary Ties Widens

By Juan Forero
Washington Post Foreign Service
Wednesday, April 18, 2007; A18

BOGOTA, Colombia, April 17 -- An opposition lawmaker on Tuesday alleged that paramilitary death squads met at the ranch of President Ã?lvaro Uribe in the late 1980s and plotted to murder opponents, an explosive charge in a growing scandal that has unearthed ties between the illegal militias and two dozen congressmen.

Basing his accusations on government documents and depositions by former paramilitary members and military officers, Sen. Gustavo Petro said the militiamen met at Uribe's Guacharacas farm as well as ranches owned by his brother, Santiago Uribe, and a close associate, Luis Alberto Villegas.

"From there, at night, they would go out and kill people," Petro said, referring to the sprawling ranch owned by Ã?lvaro Uribe, who served as a senator from 1986 to 1994.

The allegations, made at a congressional hearing on the "para-politics" scandal, were vigorously denied by the government. In a rebuttal, Interior Minister Carlos Holguín said that all manner of rumors have arisen about Uribe's farm.

Holguín said Petro had "abused" his position by using court documents selectively to make his points and was trying to portray Colombia "as a country of assassins, a country of paramilitaries." And he wondered aloud why Petro was not so aggressive about unearthing links between politicians and leftist guerrillas, noting that Petro had been a member of the M-19 rebel movement until his election to Congress in 1991.

The hearing, called by the senator, a member of the left-of-center Democratic Pole party, came in the midst of a scandal that has led to the arrests of eight members of Congress and the head of the secret police, allegedly for having worked with paramilitary commanders to extend their hold through threats and violence across northern Colombia.

The Supreme Court and the attorney general's office are investigating nearly 20 other current or former members of Congress, most of them allies of the president. And the court is collecting evidence and interviewing witnesses to establish whether the president's cousin, Sen. Mario Uribe, had met with paramilitary commanders to plot land grabs; the senator denied any links in a recent interview.

Government officials say the disclosures of ties between the militias and the political establishment are taking place precisely because Uribe's administration entered into negotiations with paramilitary groups that permitted the disarmament of thousands of fighters. That has created a safer climate for public disclosures, they say.

"We're the ones pushing for full disclosure," Vice President Francisco Santos told a small group of reporters in Washington on Monday.

It was unclear what impact the accusations would have on Uribe. The Bush administration's closest ally in Latin America, Uribe's government has received more than $4 billion in mostly military aid to push back Marxist guerrillas and fumigate much of the country's huge coca fields. Government figures show that violence has dropped dramatically, and the economy has soared.

But Uribe, since he first ran for office, has also been dogged by the fact that paramilitary groups grew dramatically during his term as governor in the northwestern state of Antioquia, from 1995 to 1997. During that time, he helped spearhead the creation of Convivirs, legal vigilante groups. Some were later denounced for having morphed into paramilitary death squads or for serving as fronts for paramilitary warlords.

In a two-hour presentation in which military intelligence reports and affidavits of mid-level military officers were made public, Petro provided a detailed sketch of Colombia's fearsome paramilitary movement, from its first links with cocaine kingpins including Pablo Escobar to its use of massacres to spread terror to its liquidation of the leftist Patriotic Union party.

He spoke of how banana companies, including foreign firms, bankrolled death squads and helped paramilitary groups traffic in cocaine. And he read from a government statement provided by an army captain who was present at meetings between a former general, Rito Alejo del Rio, and paramilitary commanders. President Uribe has long been close to del Rio, who was charged in 2001 with having paramilitary ties. The charges were later dropped.

The senator said that despite a common perception, the generation-old paramilitary movement did not surge because of the lack of state presence. "Paramilitarism was founded with the help from some sectors of the state," he said.

In the hearing, Petro focused much of his time on the Convivirs and how officials who promoted them knew that paramilitary warlords ran some of the groups. The Convivirs were eventually outlawed following allegations of rights abuses.

"If these type of people made up the Convivirs and directed them, then could they really guarantee the security and tranquillity of the people?" Petro asked.

In a recent interview, a paramilitary turncoat who is providing investigators with evidence of ties between paramilitary groups and politicians said that President Uribe had strong support among paramilitary commanders, who favored him for his tough stance against guerrillas. He said, however, that he had never heard evidence of direct ties between the president and paramilitary groups.

"We all admired the president," said the former paramilitary member, Jairo Castillo, who fled Colombia and now lives in Canada. "He was a guy who was for the Convivirs and strengthening the Convivirs. But to say that he was helping or had ties with the paramilitaries, I'd be lying if I said he did."

Staff writer Jason Ukman in Washington contributed to this report.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/04/17/AR2007041702007_pf.html

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juancegomez says on Apr 18, 2007, 10:33:

A brief comment Still no smoking gun, though there is indeed circumstantial evidence. Only time will tell, I suppose.

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miamimike says on Apr 19, 2007, 01:04:

Saw This Link In Yesterday's Miami Herald Paper on This Subjec http://www.miamiherald.com/691/story/77749.html


"Uribe denies assisting death squads
By TOBY MUSE
Associated Press Writer

William Fernando Martinez / AP Photo
Opposition Senator Gustavo Petro, right, of the leftist Polo Democratico party, speaks during a debate at the Congress in Bogota, Tuesday, April 17, 2007. On background is Colombia's Defense Minister Juan Manuel Santos.
BOGOTA, Colombia -- President Alvaro Uribe fought back Wednesday against allegations he aided the rise of right-wing paramilitary fighters when he was a governor in northern Colombia, calling an opposition lawmaker who made the accusations a "slanderer."

Sen. Gustavo Petro on Tuesday in congress accused Uribe of letting his family's farms be used by the paramilitaries."

"Wait a minute. What did you just say? You're predicting $4-a-gallon gas? That's interesting. I hadn't heard that." -- Feb. 28, 2008 --George W. Bush, Washington, D.C.

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platano says on Apr 19, 2007, 23:07:

Still no smoking gun? Let's see.... we've got people being assassinated at Uribe's finca.

Another of Uribe's fincas being used for meetings between illegal paramilitary groups and Convivir.

We've got Uribe's signature authorizing two Convivir's that were being run by paramilitary chiefs.

We've got photographic evidence of Uribe's brother, Santiago, with Fabio Ochoa Vásquez in 1985, one year after the assassination of Rodrigo Lara when Ochoa's involvement in narcotrafficking was public knowledge.

We've got a paramilitary beeper message directly implicating Uribe when he was governor of Antioquia.

And most importantly, for those who still do not believe there is any smoking gun... we have had a paramilitary howitzer go off (one that grew directly out of Convivir), destroying Colombian families and damaging Colombian democracy with chainsaw masacres and a systematic elimination of a legitimate political party, La Union Patriotica.... and that howitzer is still smoking and has not been silenced as the paras are recycled and continue their assassinations.

According to para testimony DAS, B2 and the paras were involved in a joint action that led to the assassination of Galan in Soacha. (of course, Maza, ex-DAS chief, denies this). As more paras begin to give testimony things will become even clearer.

One thing is for sure, and Uribe has confirmed this: Petro is influential. And statements made by Uribe today could provide impetus for dark forces to act... well, let's just say I fear for Petro's life and Uribe is not helping keep him alive.
plátano

plátano

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platano says on Apr 20, 2007, 17:04:

Petro gave no new information say law experts As long as opposition Senator Gustavo Petro's denunciations are taken from inactive or archived judicial files, introducing no new evidence, the trials meant to prove delinquent or not delinquent citizens that were already absolved for alleged links to paramilitary groups in Antioquia will not be reopened.

Such was the opinion of penal law experts such as the two former district attorneys who were present when the investigations surrounding La Carolina, in which Petro involved the President's brother, were underway. ---El Colombiano

plátano

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Miguel says on Apr 20, 2007, 17:14:

And don't forget... The CIA reports, published in TIME magazine, LA SEMANA, and other rags which chronicled Alvarito's blind eye to illicit flights from Antioquía to the US when he was the head of aviation for the Colombian government.

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Miguel_Clavo says on Apr 20, 2007, 17:19:

Given Petro's "virgin-like" background, he has no credibility with me, and has every reason to be the "devils advocate"....to coin a popular role...

BTW, welcome back Platano...has everyone retired yet and the move to Colombia in motion?

Just my opinion...

Miguel_Clavo =)..aka, DragonSlayer...Colombia es pasión!

"F.A.R.C..S.U.C.K.S"

"I would rather die living life, than to live a dying life."........ Oh, and my PM is always ON. Great Bumper Sticker: "Home of the Free, Because of the Brave"

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juancegomez says on Apr 23, 2007, 11:09:

platano "Let's see.... we've got people being assassinated at Uribe's finca."

A claim of. There's also the issue of who in fact owned the mentioned fincas at the precise moment those events allegedly took place.

"Another of Uribe's fincas being used for meetings between illegal paramilitary groups and Convivir."

A claim of. See above as well.

"We've got Uribe's signature authorizing two Convivir's that were being run by paramilitary chiefs."

Currently circumstantial in those cases that actually check out (like Mr. Barrera's, though his Convivir was later de-authorized). See also the observations that the Supervigilancia has already publicly revealed about this matter.

"We've got photographic evidence of Uribe's brother, Santiago, with Fabio Ochoa Vásquez in 1985, one year after the assassination of Rodrigo Lara when Ochoa's involvement in narcotrafficking was public knowledge."

Irrelevant to the discussion at hand, which was Uribe's links to "paras". His character (which I myself personally loathe with all my heart), and that of his brother, is another matter.

"We've got a paramilitary beeper message directly implicating Uribe when he was governor of Antioquia."

The message's text is ambiguous, at best.

"And most importantly, for those who still do not believe there is any smoking gun... we have had a paramilitary howitzer go off (one that grew directly out of Convivir), destroying Colombian families and damaging Colombian democracy with chainsaw masacres and a systematic elimination of a legitimate political party, La Union Patriotica.... and that howitzer is still smoking and has not been silenced as the paras are recycled and continue their assassinations."

Irrelevant appeal to emotion. Reminds me of some of the poorer tactics employed by Uribe's congressional defenders after Mr. Petro's debate, except in the opposite direction.

"According to para testimony DAS, B2 and the paras were involved in a joint action that led to the assassination of Galan in Soacha. (of course, Maza, ex-DAS chief, denies this). As more paras begin to give testimony things will become even clearer."

Irrelevant to the discussion at hand, see above.

"One thing is for sure, and Uribe has confirmed this: Petro is influential. And statements made by Uribe today could provide impetus for dark forces to act... well, let's just say I fear for Petro's life and Uribe is not helping keep him alive."

I do, however, agree with your last statement....though perhaps not with all the other implications you might imagine.

Miguel:

"The CIA reports, published in TIME magazine, LA SEMANA, and other rags which chronicled Alvarito's blind eye to illicit flights from Antioquía to the US when he was the head of aviation for the Colombian government."

In particular, he was accused of giving operating licenses to the drug lords during the two years he served as head of Civil Aviation. However, it remains quite unclear whether this was merely an act of potential irresponsibility or something that can actually be judicially construed as a direct crime.

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