Former president of Colombia's Congress jailed in parapolitics scandal

[Judi Lynn]

Former president of Colombia's Congress jailed in parapolitics scandal
By Associated Press
6:23 p.m. EDT, September 14, 2010

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian authorities have arrested a veteran lawmaker and former president of Congress on criminal conspiracy charges for alleged collusion with far-right militias.

Javier Caceres has been a senator since 1998. The 52-year-old Cartagena lawmaker was president of Congress until July.

Leaders of Colombia's paramilitary militias have confessed to thousands of killings and stealing millions of acres from poor farmers over two decades.

Several say Caceres was among their political allies. At least one says his gunmen compelled people to vote for Caceres.

More:
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/nationworld/sns-ap-lt-colombia-parapolitics-scandal,0,2055066.story

[Judi Lynn]

1. Former Senate president arrested for 'parapolitics' .

Former Senate president arrested for 'parapolitics' .
Tuesday, 14 September 2010 12:43 Kirsten Begg

http://colombiareports.com.nyud.net:8090/pics/politics/javier_caceres.jpg

Senator Javier Caceres was arrested in Bogota Tuesday over allegations that paramilitary group "Heroes de Montes de Maria" financed his election campaign, reports El Espectador.

Caceres, who was Senate president from July 2009 to July 2010, was arrested on the orders of Colombia's Supreme Court for alleged links with former paramilitary boss Uber Enrique Banquez, alias "Juancho Dique."

The demobilized paramilitary was one of the first participants in Colombia's Justice and Peace program to be sentenced for crimes he committed while he was a leader of now-demobilized paramilitary organization the AUC.

Caceres gave an exclusive interview to Caracol Radio from the Bogota Prosecutor General's Office were he is being held. In the interview Caceres denied allegations that he met with paramilitaries or "any illegal groups, anywhere in Colombia."

More:
http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/11830-senator-arrested-for-parapolitics.html

[rabs]

2. Caceres taken to emergency room

After his arrest he suffered what the Bogota media is saying was a "diabetic coma."

Commenters are saying it was more like a "diarrhea attack."

Caceres was schedule to give testimony in court tomorrow. That will be probably be canceled now (gotta gain time to get his story straight with his lawyer).

Meantime, his seat in the Senate will remain vacant until he is tried, convicted or acquitted. One more uribista goes down the drain.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Hilarious! They are always getting "real sick" when they get in trouble.

Pinochet kept falling apart every time they tried to put him in the slammer.

So cool to hear this scumbucket is resorting to the oldest tricks in the book.

Delightful.

Thank you, rabs!

[Wilms]

4. k&r n/t

[Judi Lynn]

5. Colombia senator accused of paramilitary links

Colombia senator accused of paramilitary links
By the CNN Wire Staff
September 15, 2010 -- Updated 0659 GMT (1459 HKT)

(CNN) -- Colombian Sen. Javier Caceres, a former president of Congress, was arrested Tuesday for alleged links to right-wing paramilitary groups.

The country's Supreme Court of Justice issued the arrest warrant.

According to local reports, Caceres was allegedly involved with the paramilitary chief Uber Banquez, known as "Juancho Dique."

Banquez claims that Caceres asked him for money to finance his campaign.

In an interview with Caracol Radio after his arrest, Caceres denied that any meetings with paramilitaries were for the purposes of wrongdoing.

He did admit that in 2000 he met with Carlos Castano, then-head of the now demobilized United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) paramilitary organization, but did not divulge any details about it.

"I have never met with any illegal group, in any part of the country, to do wrongdoing," he told the radio station.

More:
http://edition.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/09/14/colombia.senator.arrested/index.html

~~~~~
Reference to AUC Uber Banquez, "Juancho Dique:"

Conviction of 'paras' is too slow: Justice and Peace tribunal .
Thursday, 04 February 2010 08:28 Camilla Pease-Watkin

Colombia's Justice and Peace tribunal voiced concerns over the length of time taken for charged paramilitary leaders to be tried by the country's prosecutor general, reported El Espectador.

This follows the tribunal's release in January of a 96 page document, which found paramilitary commanders Edwar Cobos Tellez and Uber Enrique Banquez, aliases "Diego Vecino" and "Juancho Dique," guilty of massacre, torture and forced displacements committed whilst part of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).

Although last year Banquez and Cobos Tellez spoke freely of and were charged for crimes including murder, torture, hostage taking, displacement of civilians and the destruction and appropriation of property in the regions of Sucre and Montes de Maria, no action was taken to prosecute the AUC commanders, and Colombia's prosecutor general therefore did not hear their confessions in court.

"Dique and Vecino are paramilitary commanders. If their cases don't advance, imagine those of their subordinates," said a source close to the investigations.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/8041-conviction-of-paras-is-too-slow-court-of-justice-and-peace.html

http://www.elnuevodia.com.co.nyud.net:8090/nuevodia/images/stories/2010/06/30/3A1.jpg http://www.eluniversal.com.co.nyud.net:8090/v2/sites/default/files/DIEGO%20VECINO%20-%20JUANCHO%20DIQU.jpg

http://ecodiario.eleconomista.es.nyud.net:8090/imag/efe/2009/10/13/2584864w.jpg

"You've done a heck of a job there, Juancho Dique!"

A former Colombian paramilitary leader admits charges one of the worst massacres

13/10/2009 - 20:02Bogota , Oct 13 ( EFE ) .- Former Colombian paramilitary leader Banquez Uber Enrique Martínez , alias "Juancho Dique , the prosecution admitted to their involvement in the massacre at El Salado, one of the worst massacres of the far-right armed , committed in 2000 in a town north of the country , judicial sources said .

http://ecodiario.eleconomista.es/noticias-email/1612265/Un-ex-jefe-paramilitar-colombiano-admite-cargos-por-una-de-las-peores-matanzas