The Colombian parapolitics scandal (known as parapolítica in Spanish, a portmonteau of paramilitar and política) refers to the Colombian congressional scandal in which several congressmen and other politicians have been indicted for colluding with the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), a paramilitary group which is responsible for killing thousands of Colombian civilians. The scandal broke in 2006 and by April 17, 2012, 139 members of Congress were under investigation.
Five governors and 32 lawmakers, including Mario Uribe Escobar, cousin of President Álvaro Uribe and former President of Congress, were convicted.
Background Relations between politicians and government officials, security forces, high profile members of other sectors of society, and paramilitary groups have developed for years, resulting in the latter's infiltration of Colombian politics and government.
According to the newspaper El Tiempo, one of the paramilitary leaders involved, Rodrigo Tovar Pupo, sought to achieve total power in the Atlantic Coast and eventually over Colombia. Tomarse el poder en la Costa e incluso en el país era plan de 'Jorge 40' con congresistas detenidos , El Tiempo, February 17, 2007. Accessed February 18, 2007. To achieve this, he and other paramilitary leaders contacted politicians both before, during and after the AUC demobilizations.
In 2001, some 32 people, including members of congress, politicians, paramilitary leaders and others, met at Santa Fe de Ralito in order to sign a secret document known as the Pact of Paramillo Knot or as the "Pact of Ralito". The text of the document called for "refounding the country", signing a new social contract and maintaining national independence, among other statements. When the document's existence was revealed in late 2006, participants such as former congresswoman Elenora Pineda have argued that the document sought to be a contribution to the search of peace in Colombia. Opposition senator Juan Manuel López Cabrales, who also signed the document, argued that he did so in ignorance and under pressure. Ex Congresista dice que ninguno fue obligado a firmar , RCN TV, January 20, 2007. Accessed February 18, 2007.
After the demobilizations had concluded and the scandal broke, several arrests have been made, most recently on February 15, 2007. Senator Álvaro Araújo Castro, brother of former foreign minister María Consuelo Araújo, was among five congressmen arrested on that day. Also arrested were Mauricio Pimiento, Dieb Maloof, Alfonso Campo Escobar, and Luis Eduardo Vives. His arrest lead to her resignation four days later.
A Supreme Court of Justice investigation into ties between paramilitary groups and congress has been based largely on files discovered on a laptop computer belonging to the organization of former paramilitary leader Rodrigo Tovar Pupo, aka Jorge 40.
Political involvement The so-called "para-political scandal" was set in motion in June 2005 after Clara López Obregón, a member of the opposition Alternative Democratic Pole party, formally denounced before the Colombian Supreme Court the existence of links between paramilitaries and some congressmen. Encarcelan a congresistas, incluido el hermano de la ministra de Exteriores, El País, February 16, 2007. Accessed February 18, 2006 Previously, paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso had said during an interview that some 35% of the elected Congress in 2002 were friendly towards their group.
The confiscation of a laptop computer belonging to the organization of paramilitary leader Jorge 40 gave increased momentum to the scandal. It contained numerous files that mentioned or implicated politicians and members of the security forces that collaborated with his paramilitary force.El computador de ‘Jorge 40’ puede ser el inicio de un nuevo proceso 8.000 , Revista Semana, October 10, 2006. Accessed February 18, 2007.
First arrests On November 9, 2006, the Supreme Court ordered the detention of three implicated congressmen.
Álvaro García
Congressman Álvaro García was accused based on charges of conspiracy to commit aggravated delinquency, aggravated homicide, and embezzlement. García was accused by the Supreme Court for organizing, promoting, arming and financing illegal paramilitary groups in the Sucre Department since 1997, for participating in the Macayepo massacreAttorney accuse “Cadena” for the massacre in Macayepo, Colombian Air Force. Accessed February 18, 2006. in the year 2000, in which 20 peasants were massacred, for the assassination of Georgina Narváez Wilchez on November 19, 1997 Gobierno: "Esto es peor que el proceso 8.000 , Revista Semana, November 9, 2006. Accessed February 18, 2007. and the appropriation of public funds to finance paramilitary groups.
Jairo Merlano Congressman Jairo Merlano was accused by the Supreme Court and six witnesses of being a formal member of one of the AUC paramilitary groups led by men known by the aliases of "Diego Vecino" (Edward Cobo) and "Cadena" (Rodrigo Mercado Pelufo) among others. Ley de Justicia y Paz no beneficiará a congresistas prófugos, El Espectador, November 14, 2006. Accessed February 18, 2007. Corte Suprema ordenó detención de los tres congresistas investigados por vínculos con 'paras', El Tiempo, November 9, 2006. Accessed via Google February 18, 2007.
Erick Morris Congressman Erick Morris was accused by one witness of having ties to paramilitary groups. Congressman Álvaro García was one of his political mentors.
The Araújos
María Consuelo Araújo On November 15, 2006 the then Minister of Foreign Relations, María Consuelo Araújo, met with the Attorney General and her brother, Senator Álvaro Araújo Castro to inquire about the existence of any investigations against her family. Two days later her brother Álvaro was identified as part of the investigation. On November 22, minister Araújo publicly announced that the meeting had taken place.
During a debate in the Senate on November 29, 2006, senate members of the Alternative Democratic Pole (PDA) headed by Jorge Enrique Robledo and members of the Liberal Party headed by Cecilia López Montaño asked for the Minister's resignation due to her brother's ties to the paramilitaries. Most claimed that they had no personal complaints against her, but that she should not remain in her position.
As late as February 18, she refused calls for her to step down and received a statement of support from President Álvaro Uribe, who had previously rejected her resignation. Colombian Won't Resign Despite Scandal, Toby Muse, The Guardian, February 16, 2007. Accessed February 18, 2007. However, after her brother's arrest, her second resignation was accepted by the president on February 19, 2007.Colombian foreign minister quits, BBC News, February 19, 2007. Accessed 19 February 2007. Uribe selected former Development Minister Fernando Araújo Perdomo as her replacement, just weeks after his escape from six years as a FARC hostage.
Álvaro Araújo On November 21, 2006 members of the pro-Uribe caucus met in the Palacio de Nariño to discuss the Supreme Court decision on the three jailed congressmen. In that meeting Senator Álvaro Araújo Castro mentioned;
When knowledge of this remark was leaked to the press, Araújo explained that he was talking about the possible political toll of the scandal and not about judicial responsibilities. After this controversial comment, Araújo temporarily resigned from his party, Alas-Team Colombia, on November 29, 2006. He was called to testify to the Supreme Court.
On February 15, 2007 he was arrested by an order from the Supreme Court, which found enough evidence to continue investigating him for his alleged ties to paramilitary groups and for the crimes of kidnapping with extortion.
Hernando Molina Araújo
The governor of Cesar Department, Hernando Molina Araújo, is accused of handling the money of the paramilitary leader "Jorge 40" during his time as diplomat in Guatemala and co-authoring a massacre. Un gobernador en la mira , Revista Semana, February 15, 2007. Accessed February 18, 2007.
During the elections of 2003 Molina Araújo was accused of benefiting from the paramilitary decision to support his candidacy over the two other contestants Cristian Moreno Panezo and Abraham Romero who were threatened and forced to resign by the paramilitaries.
DAS scandal On November 21, 2006, Rafael García Torres, the former Information Technologies Chief of the Administrative Department of Security (DAS) (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad) was questioned by the Supreme Court after being arrested and charged with taking bribes from paramilitaries and narcotraffickers in exchange for erasing or altering their judicial history from the state intelligence database. García claimed to have knowledge of Jorge 40's plans to corrupt congressmen and install those friendly to his causes. Detenidos otros cinco Congresistas por caso de la parapolítica, La República, 16 February 2007. Accessed 18 February 2007.
García had already contended that former chief of DAS Jorge Noguera maintained a close relationship with Jorge 40 and that they met several times to talk about local politics, including support for candidates in the 2003] municipal, gubernatorial and presidential elections, among them the Magdalena Department governor Trino Luna El expediente de Jorge Noguera , Semana, 25 November 2006. Accessed 18 February 2007. and in the Cesar Department with Hernando Molina Araújo, among others.
President Uribe publicly asked Noguera to appear before the Attorney General's office, but Noguera refused alleging economic and security reasons. Noguera was then acting consul-general in Milan, Italy.Colombia President Attacks the Press, Fox News, April 16, 2006. Accessed 18 February 2007. He later resigned, returned to the country and appeared before judicial authorities. On February 22, 2007 Noguera was arrested, accused of having ties to paramilitaries.Jorge Noguera quedó detenido en la Fiscalía , Caracol TV, 22 February 2007. Accessed 22 February 2007Colombian ex-intel chief arrested in 'para' probe, Hugh Bronstein, Reuters, February 22, 2007. Accessed 22 February 2007.
On June 11, 2008, the Colombian Supreme Court ordered the immediate release of Jorge Noguera.Corte Suprema ordena la libertad inmediata para Jorge Noguera Cotes, ex director del DAS, “El Tiempo”, 11 June 2008. According to the José Alvear Restrepo Lawyers' Collective, Noguera was only released due to procedural defects; however the charges against him -conspiracy to commit a crime, misuse of authority through an arbitrary and unjust act, and improper use of classified or secret information- may still be prosecuted.Attorney General should Immediately Reopen the Case against Former Spy Chief Jorge Noguera, “CCAJAR”, 13 June 2008.
Judicial branch scandal The former president of the Superior Council of Judicature, José Alfredo Escobar Araújo acknowledged that he had a friendship with Italian mobster Giorgio Sale, but denied knowledge of Sale's activities as narcotrafficker. Sale has been associated with paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso, himself accused of money laundering, and the Italian mafia group known as 'Ndrangheta. Escobar Araújo renunció a la presidencia del Consejo Superior de la Judicatura , Revista Semana, November 30, 2006. Accessed 18 February 2007.Mancuso, vinculado con mafias italianas , El País, November 23, 2006. Accessed 18 February 2007.
On November 28, 2006 Escobar Araújo said that he would accept any decision and obey any orders from the Magistrates of the Penal Chamber of Judicature regarding his connection to Sale.
Escobar Araújo's wife, Ana Margarita Fernández, was an official in the Inspector General's office. Escobar resigned the presidency of the Superior Council on November 30 but continued as a magistrate of that body.
President Álvaro Uribe