Colombia’s Supreme Court convicts ex-lawmaker of masterminding massacre, sets 30-year sentence
Colombia’s Supreme Court convicts ex-lawmaker of masterminding massacre, sets 30-year sentence
By Associated Press,
Updated: Wednesday, May 15, 7:43 PM
BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombia’s Supreme Court has convicted a former longtime congressman of being the mastermind behind the massacre of 43 people by right-wing paramilitary fighters in the north of the country more than two decades ago. It has sentenced him to 30 years in prison.
The high court says the 78-year-old Cesar Perez Garcia was found responsible for a “crime against humanity” as the result of the mass slaying the night of Nov. 11, 1988, in an area about 300 kilometers (about 185 miles) northwest of Bogota.
The court’s press office said Wednesday that he ex-lawmaker was found guilty of homicide, personal injury and criminal conspiracy.
Defense lawyer Jorge Anibal Gomez calls the verdict unfair.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/the_americas/colombias-supreme-court-convicts-ex-lawmaker-of-masterminding-massacre-sets-30-year-sentence/2013/05/15/9ef0fcce-bdc1-11e2-b537-ab47f0325f7c_story.html
(Short article, no more at link.)
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unclassified released in full unclassified - US Department of State
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A MACABRE MASSACRE, EVEN BY LOCAL STANDARDS
2. (U) COLOMBIAN PROSECUTORS RESTED MARCH 24 THEIR CRIMINAL CASE
AGAINST TWO PARAMILITARY LEADERS, FIVE ARMY OFFICERS AND A POLICE
COMMANDER ACCUSED OF HAVING ORCHESTRATED ONE OF COLOMBIA'S MOST
MACABRE AND INFAMOUS CASES OF MASS-MURDER: THE NOVEMBER 11,
1988, MASSACRE IN SEGOVIA, ANTIOQUIA (IN THE MAGDALENA MEDIC
REGION), FORTY-NINE PERSONS WERE KILLED AND ANOTHER 56 INJURED
IN A BLOODY RAMPAGE WHICH BEGAN IN THE TOWN'S SQUARE. THE
SLAUGHTER OCCURRED MID-DAY ON A FRIDAY PAYDAY, WHEN GOLD-MINERS
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FROM THE NEARBY HILLS AND HOLLOWS CONVERGED ON THE , TOWN TO CASH
THEIR PAYCHECKS. THREE TRUCKS OF ARMED MEN ARRIVED AND BEGAN
OPENING FIRE, APPARENTLY RANDOMLY, AGAINST THE TOWNSPEOPLE. THE
BODIES OF THE DEAD MEN, WOMEN AND CHILDREN WERE THEN LOADED ON
THE TRUCKS, WHICH CONTINUED TO CIRCULATE THROUGH THE STREETS AS
THE PARAMILITARY FIGHTERS STOOD ATOP THE DEAD, CHEERING AND
DRINKING TO THEIR "GOOD HUNTING." THROUGH IT ALL, NEITHER THE
TOWN'S ARMY BATTALION NOR POLICE DETACHMENT STIRRED FROM THEIR
BASES.
3. (U) ACCUSED OF DIRECTING THE KILLINGS, PARAMILITARY LEADERS
FIDEL CASTANO AND LUIS ALBERTO ARRIETA AND THEN-LT. COL. HERNANDO
NAVAS RUBIO WERE FORMALLY CHARGED WITH TERRORISM, CONSPIRACY,
PERSONAL INJURY AND MULTIPLE HOMICIDE WITH TERRORIST ENDS. AT
THE TIME OF THE MASSACRE, NAVAS RUBIO WAS SERVING AS CHIEF
INTELLIGENCE OFFICER FOR THE ARMY'S 14TH BRIGADE, HEADQUARTERED
IN THE NEARBY TOWN OF PUERTO BERRIO; FIDEL CASTANO SERVED AS HEAD
OF THE SELF-DEFENSE GROUPS OF CORDOBA AND URABA ("ACCU"
; ARRIETA
WAS THE PERSONAL BODYGUARD AND SIDEKICK OF "VLADIMIR," A
GUERRILLA-TURNED-PARAMILITARY LEADER (WHO HAS ALREADY CONFESSED
AND BEEN SENTENCED FOR HIS OWN INVOLVEMENT IN THE MASSACRE).
4. (U) THE OTHER CO-DEFENDANTS IN THE TRIAL INCLUDE AN ARMY
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LIEUTENANT COLONEL, A MAJOR, A LIEUTENANT AND THE LOCAL POLICE
COMMANDER. THE FISCALIA ORDERED THE RELEASE OF ANOTHER ARMY
OFFICER, MAJOR BERNARDO BLANCO PINEDA, AFTER DETERMINING THAT
THERE WAS INSUFFICIENT EVIDENCE TO WARRANT CHARGES AGAINST HIM.
THE FISCALIA ALSO CONTINUES BUILDING ITS RELATED CASE AGAINST THE
PRESUMED INTELLECTUAL AUTHOR OF THE MASSACRE, THEN-CONGRESSMAN
CESAR PEREZ GARCIA, THE ANTIOQUIA POLITICAL STRONGMAN (AND
MULTIPLE-TERM PRESIDENT OF THE LOWER HOUSE OF COLOMBIA'S
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CONGRESS, THE CHAMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES) WHO HAD ROUTINELY
APPOINTED MAYORS IN THE REGION. PEREZ IS BELIEVED TO HAVE
ORDERED THE MASSACRE TO DISRUPT THE POLITICAL ADVANCES MADE BY
THE "U.P.", A POLITICAL COALITION OF LEFTISTS, COMMUNISTS AND
DEMOBILIZED PARC GUERRILLAS WHICH WAS ESTABLISHED IN 1985. THE
U.P. HAD CHALLENGED PEREZ' DECADES-LONG DOMINANCE BY HANDILY
WINNING THE SEGOVIA MAYORALTY THE PREVIOUS MONTH, IN COLOMBIA'S
FIRST DIRECT ELECTIONS FOR LOCAL MAYORS.
THE SUSPECTS' "RAP SHEETS"
5. (C) NAVAS RUBIO IS BECOMING QUITE THE HOUSEHOLD NAME.
ALONGSIDE RETIRED GENERAL FAROUK YANINE DIAZ, NAVAS RUBIO WAS
JUST CLEARED ON 17 MARCH BY THE MILITARY COURT OF APPEALS
("TRIBUNAL SUPERIOR MILITAR" OF INVOLVEMENT IN THE 1987
PARAMILITARY MASSACRE OF 19 TRAVELING MERCHANTS OPERATING OUT OF
PUERTO BERRIO. NAVAS RUBIO REMAINS IN MILITARY DETENTION, NOT
JUST BECAUSE OF HIS PROSECUTION IN THE SEGOVIA CASE, BUT BECAUSE
OF HIS INVOLVEMENT IN SEVERAL OTHER NOTORIOUS KILLINGS (SEE
REFTEL).
6. (C) NAVAS RUBIO WAS FIRST ARRESTED, HOWEVER, NOT FOR ANY OF
THESE VIOLENT CRIMES BUT BECAUSE OF HIS 1992 ROLE IN
ORCHESTRATING THE ESCAPE OF NONE OTHER THAN MEDELLIN CARTEL
KINGPIN CARLOS ESCOBAR FROM "DETENTION." THE NATIONAL AND
INTERNATIONAL OUTRAGE OVER ESCOBAR'S ESCAPE FROM THE "LA CATEDRAL
PRISON" THAT HE BUILT FOR HIMSELF NEAR MEDELLIN PROMPTED THE
INVESTIGATION, DETENTION AND CONVICTION OF NAVAS RUBIO -- WHO WAS
THEN SERVING AS THE DIRECTOR OF THE ONE-INMATE PRISON. ONLY THEN
WAS NAVAS RUBIO FORCED TO RETIRE FROM THE ARMY (WITH FULL PENSION
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More:
http://www.state.gov/documents/organization/138199.pdf
[center] 
Right-winger Cesar Perez Garcia [/center]