A Colombian choose has rejected a request by the lawyer basic’s workplace to halt an investigation into former President Alvaro Uribe.
Uribe is being investigated in a case involving allegations that he established and ran a paramilitary group of his personal.
Decide Carmen Helena Ortiz stated there was a “potential speculation in regards to the materials nature of the crime of bribery.”
“The chambers rejects the petition for preclusion of the investigation for the crimes of penal bribery and procedural fraud,” Ortiz added.
Uribe might face a jail time period of as much as 12 years if he is convicted within the case.
Why is the case vital?
Colombia’s lawyer basic’s workplace requested the courtroom to shelve the investigation into the previous president final yr, arguing that the assorted accusations leveled towards him “would not have the traits of crime.”
However critics of Uribe had warned that the lawyer basic’s workplace could be a lot much less rigorous in its investigation into the previous president than the highest courtroom of the nation.
The long-running authorized saga dates again to 2012, when Uribe accused leftwing Senator Ivan Cepeda of orchestrating a plot to hyperlink him to right-wing paramilitaries. The Supreme Courtroom, nevertheless, present in 2018 that Uribe and his allies had pressured and bribed potential witnesses.
The Supreme Courtroom additionally ordered the detention of the previous president and positioned him underneath home arrest for 2 months in 2020.
Uribe resigned his Senate seat shortly after being positioned underneath home arrest. His protection crew argued that since Uribe resigned as a congressman, the nation’s high courtroom didn’t have the ability to evaluate the case anymore, because it wasn’t associated to Uribe’s political actions.
The Supreme Courtroom then transferred the case over to the lawyer basic’s workplace, which has been presiding over the investigation ever since.
Colombians cut up over probe
The case towards the previous chief has divided Colombians and sparked protests each in favor and towards Uribe.
Uribe was president of Colombia between 2002 and 2010 and was identified for his hardline stance towards leftist guerilla teams throughout the nation’s decades-long civil conflict. His supporters credit score him with weakening the insurgent Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) group by launching a navy offensive.
FARC rebels later reached a peace deal in 2016 with Uribe’s successor, former President Juan Manuel Santos.
Uribe remains to be an influential determine in Colombia, though critics have famous that a few of the nation’s worst human rights abuses befell throughout his time in workplace.
Since 1958, the battle in Colombia has killed over 260,000 individuals and displaced over 7 million individuals, in keeping with the federal government’s Nationwide Heart for Historic Reminiscence.
This report was written partially with materials from Reuters information company.
Edited by: Rebecca Staudenmaier
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Colombia: 5 years after FARC deal, peace stays elusive
From ragged revolt to navy may
Within the mid-Twentieth century, Colombia noticed a raging battle between totally different political camps. Left-wing insurgent teams based impartial republics in distant areas, which had been steadily taken over by authorities forces. Two of the leaders of the “Republica de Marquetalia” escaped, nevertheless. In 1966, Manuel Marulanda and Jacobo Arenas (left) based the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia or FARC.
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Colombia: 5 years after FARC deal, peace stays elusive
A life devoted to armed battle
Within the inaccessible Amazon area, farmers who knew the land properly had been tactically superior to the extra cumbersome Colombian military. The FARC picked up methods from different guerrilla teams in Latin America and started recruiting college students and slum dwellers from the cities. That allegedly included greater than 18,000 minors. Girls, too, joined in. Nonetheless, they had been strictly forbidden to have kids.
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Colombia: 5 years after FARC deal, peace stays elusive
Mercenaries, drug traffickers, racketeers
To fund themselves, the guerrillas entered the drug commerce. They moonlighted as mercenaries for the cocaine cartels and later participated in cultivation. Although the Colombian military, with the assistance of the US, destroyed plantations and drug labs (photograph), the rebels raked in loads of money. At occasions, the rebels managed an space as giant as Switzerland. In addition they levied a “revolutionary tax” there.
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Colombia: 5 years after FARC deal, peace stays elusive
Kidnappings as a profitable enterprise mannequin
The FARC is estimated to have earned tons of of tens of millions of US {dollars} annually. A part of the rationale was one other flourishing enterprise mannequin – the insurgent group is believed to have been behind almost 10,000 kidnappings from 1970 to 2010. Probably the most outstanding sufferer was presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt in 2002. It took six years for the Colombian military to free Betancourt and 14 different hostages.
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Colombia: 5 years after FARC deal, peace stays elusive
The battle for peace
As early because the Nineteen Eighties, the FARC negotiated an preliminary, fragile cease-fire with the Colombian authorities. Some members tried to assist to form insurance policies in political events. Within the Nineties, they offered a 10-point political program. In 2001, FARC chief Manuel Marulanda (proper) met with President Andres Pastrana (left) for renewed peace talks. However success proved elusive.
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Colombia: 5 years after FARC deal, peace stays elusive
Persevering with terror marketing campaign
The FARC and the Colombian authorities had been unable to achieve a deal partially as a result of the rebels widened their marketing campaign of terror throughout the talks. They attacked navy posts and police stations with explosive units and raids. They confirmed no consideration for civilian victims — as seen right here in Medellín in 2003, when a automobile bomb injured 30 individuals and killed six, together with a small youngster.
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Colombia: 5 years after FARC deal, peace stays elusive
Left and right-wing terror
Until at present, it stays unclear who was behind the bloodbath of 119 civilians on this church in Could 2002. Along with the FARC, suspicions have centered on right-wing paramilitary teams. A lot of the roughly 250,000 individuals killed within the ongoing battle had been civilians caught between the fronts or murdered as political opponents, suspected collaborators or members of the family of opponents.
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Colombia: 5 years after FARC deal, peace stays elusive
A weakened guerrilla group
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, elected in 2002, intensified the battle towards the rebels. On March 1, 2008, troopers killed the FARC’s deputy chief, Raul Reyes. Shortly thereafter, Manuel Marulanda died. His successor was additionally killed in a skirmish in 2011. By the tip of Uribe’s presidency in 2008, FARC troop numbers dropped to about 8,000 from 20,000 throughout the Nineties. Most individuals abandoned.
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Colombia: 5 years after FARC deal, peace stays elusive
The controversial peace deal
Weakened by its losses, the FARC started peace talks with the brand new president, Juan Manuel Santos (left). The negotiations befell in Cuba. On September 26, 2016, FARC insurgent chief Timoleon Jimenez (heart) and Santos signed the peace treaty. However only a week later, a slender majority of Colombians voted towards it in a non-binding referendum.
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Colombia: 5 years after FARC deal, peace stays elusive
Disarming the rebels
By signing the peace deal, the FARC agreed to disarm. A couple of hundred rebels refused, whereas the remaining 7,000 had been able to reintegrate into civilian life. Solely these suspected of getting dedicated human rights violations had been to be introduced earlier than a particular courtroom. In early 2021, members of the group’s management had been additionally indicted for the primary time, together with chief Timoleon Jimenez.
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Colombia: 5 years after FARC deal, peace stays elusive
Reconciliation between rebels and victims
Some former FARC fighters are actively working for reconciliation with the Colombian individuals and particularly their victims. Right here, ex-rebel Rodrigo Granda meets with the sister of two kidnapping victims to apologize for the wrongs dedicated. Former hostages, too, have been partaking in reintegration initiatives.
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Colombia: 5 years after FARC deal, peace stays elusive
Purpose of lasting peace nonetheless elusive
The FARC has now transitioned right into a political social gathering. However many members imagine the peace treaty has been violated as a result of the federal government didn’t implement key components. Some rebels have returned to armed resistance. That features the 2 chief peace treaty negotiators, Ivan Marquez and Jesus Santrich. In mid-2019, they introduced in a video that the “second Marquetalia” had begun.
Creator: Jan D. Walter