September 2, 2020

Can Colombia's prosecution try Uribe if it can't even solve 95% of crimes?

by Adriaan Alsema September 2, 2020

Colombia’s Supreme Court put the notoriously dysfunctional prosecution in a major fix by putting it in charge of former President Alvaro Uribe‘s fraud and bribery case.

Its name may indicate the opposite, but prosecuting alleged criminals is not what Colombia’s prosecution does or 95% of the country’s crimes would’t be left unsolved.

If Prosecutor General Francisco Barbosa screws up the trial of the century like his office has screwed up the vast majority of criminal investigations, the consequences are impossible to calculate.

The prosecution: a safe bet?

After the former president renounced his congressional privilege, the court agreed to put the prosecution in charge of the witness tampering case.

This dramatically increased the former president’s changes to stay out of prison as the chief prosecutor is one of President Ivan Duque‘s best friends and both effectively owe their jobs to Uribe.

Furthermore, prosecutors have been disappearing criminal investigations for decades and prosecutor Daniel Hernandez, who is prosecuting Uribe’s former fixer Diego Cadena, has already said the former president is a “victim.”

More:
https://colombiareports.com/can-colombias-prosecution-try-uribe-if-it-cant-even-solve-95-of-crimes/

September 2, 2020

UN peace observer's 'suicide' tied to resignation Colombia's defense minister

(Image: United Nations mission in Colombia)

by Adriaan Alsema
September 2, 2020

The death of a UN peace observer appears to be linked to the leaking of evidence that triggered the resignation of Colombia’s former defense minister, according to newspaper El Espectador.

The body of peace observer Mario Paciolla from Italy was found in his home on July 15, five days before he hoped to end his volunteer job as a peace observer in the southern town of San Vicente del Caguan.

Friends and family immediately disputed the local police’s claim that Paciolla had committed suicide as the Italian had told his mother he was “in trouble” the evening before a was found dead.

“Colombia isn’t safe for me anymore,” the UN volunteer wrote a few days before his death, according to newspaper El Espectador.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/un-peace-observers-suicide-tied-to-resignation-colombias-defense-minister/

August 31, 2020

Uribe spending $40K / month to lobby his way out of court?

by Adriaan Alsema August 31, 2020

The son of Colombia’s former President Alvaro Uribe has hired a Washington DC lobbying firm for $40,000 a month while his father is sinking deeper into legal trouble, the Associated Press reported Sunday.

According to AP, Tomas Uribe hired DCI group that claims to “specializes in public relations, crisis management, grassroots engagement, and digital advocacy.”

Uribe is most definitely in crisis as he is under house arrest on fraud and bribery charges, and facing additional charges he allegedly was complicit in three massacres, a homicide and election fraud.

The Uribe family apparently believes that political pressure from Washington DC may convince Colombia’s Supreme Court to drop the charges that have suspended his political career and put him away for life.

The far-right politician and former Medellin Cartel associate has long wielded political power with great talent, but has had the worst luck in court, despite witness assassinations.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/uribe-spending-40k-month-to-lobby-his-way-out-of-court/

August 31, 2020

Trump offered Kelly FBI director's job, demanded loyalty: report

BY ZACK BUDRYK - 08/31/20 07:31 AM EDT


President Trump offered the position of FBI director to then-Homeland Security Secretary John Kelly in exchange for a guarantee of personal loyalty, New York Times reporter Michael Schmidt writes in his upcoming book, “Donald Trump v. The United States.”

"Kelly immediately realized the problem with Trump's request for loyalty, and he pushed back on the president's demand," Schmidt writes, according to an excerpt obtained by Axios. "Kelly said that he would be loyal to the Constitution and the rule of law, but he refused to pledge his loyalty to Trump."

The incident reportedly occurred shortly after Trump fired FBI Director James Comey, who has claimed the president made a similar demand of him.

"In addition to illustrating how Trump viewed the role and independence of senior officials who work for him, the president's demand for loyalty tracked with Comey's experience with Trump," Schmidt writes, according to Axios.

More:
https://thehill.com/homenews/administration/514369-trump-offered-kelly-fbi-directors-job-demanded-loyalty-report

August 31, 2020

Inside Mexico's 'Holy Death' cult

LONG READS

By Evgeny Lebedev
31 August 2020

In Mexico’s war on drugs, death is ever present, and the resurrection of the colonial-era Santa Muerte cult represents a new morbid normality. In this archive piece from 2014, GQ explores how cartel killers make offerings for courage, their relatives pray for protection from the law, and for those living in the crossfire, ‘Holy Death’ is the only sect that makes sense in the world’s most violent cities



You would not notice anything unusual about Julian at first if you met him, as I did, in an American city on a sunny day, with cars whizzing past full of people on their way to the mall. Perhaps you would see that he walks a little awkwardly, but that is all.

He is a handsome guy in his mid-thirties with high cheekbones and a big white smile, and for years he ran a trendy nightclub in a Mexican city. He loved running his own business, he told me. “You’re the boss of your own time,” he said, “you don’t have to tell anybody else what you’re doing.” In his spare time, he would go biking out in the desert.

Gangsters arrived at his business a few years ago, as they did at all the businesses in his town. They demanded “protection” money. If he paid, he would be protected from them, and if he didn’t, he would face their wrath. For years, he paid whatever they asked, and they demanded ever larger sums, until one day he explained that they were bankrupting him and couldn’t give them money he didn’t have. He was terrified, but he had no more money to give and had no choice.
At first they threatened him. Then, after several weeks of threats, they shot him in the arm.

Julian was almost relieved. Now they’ve extracted their price, he thought, I will be able to get on with my life. But they came back, still demanding “their” money. He explained again he didn’t have it. So they dragged him into the street, in the middle of the day, took out a saw, and cut off his feet, in front of everyone.

More:
https://www.gq-magazine.co.uk/politics/article/mexico-holy-death-cult

August 31, 2020

Two local leaders murdered in Colombia

Colombia’s Congress of the Peoples (CdP) social and political movement denounced two assassinations in the municipality of San Pablo Sur de Bolivar.



Fernando Gaviria or 'Panadero', a leader of the CdP and of the National Agrarian Coordinator (CNA) was killed along with Omaira Alcaraz or 'Cachi', a local leader of Township of Cerro Azul, Alto San Juan village, who is also a FARC party member.

Two hooded men arrived at 21h30 with uzi-type weapons and entered Omaira’s home where she and her entire family were tied up.

The men then headed out to where Fernando was working as a shopkeeper in an establishment. Upon entering the store, one of the men ordered him to go to Omaira's house, but he refused to go and was immediately shot in the abdomen.

The gun then jammed, providing him an opening to run for his life, when they shot him in the head with another gun, for a total of seven shots, leaving him dead.

The men then returned to Omaira's house and murdered her.

https://anfenglish.com/news/two-local-leaders-murdered-in-colombia-46300

(Short article, no more at link.)

Google translation:

Four social leaders murdered in Colombia over the weekend
JJ Rubiano by JJ Rubiano August 31, 2020



Two of them occurred this Sunday in the San Juan village of the municipality of San Pablo, located in the south of Bolívar and this was confirmed by the Institute of Studies for Development and Peace (Indepaz).

They are the president of the community action board Fernando de Jesús Gaviria and the leader Omaira Alcaraz, 'Cachi'.

The Rural Press Agency published on its official Twitter account: "The crimes against the peasantry and their leaders continue. Stop the slaughter!"

During the weekend the murder of four social leaders in Colombia was recorded.

According to the most recent report from the authorities of Algeria (Cauca), the municipality closes August with 42 homicides so far this year.

Initially, armed men who were mobilizing in a vehicle reached the Sinaí village in the municipality of Argelia, located south of Cauca, and assassinated the vice president of the association of parents of families of the Sinaí educational institution, Jhon Montero.

Later, the president of the community action board of the Barranco Colorado village, municipality of Puerto Rico (Meta), a member of the Peasant Association, was assassinated.

Thus, with these crimes the murders of social leaders in Colombia increase to 200.

For its part, the party of the Common Revolutionary Alternative Force, Farc, confirmed that on Saturday, in the municipality of Santa Rosa (Bolívar), former combatant Jorge Iván Ramos, known as 'Mario Morales', was assassinated.

The ex-guerrilla participated in the signing of the peace agreement and disarmed himself in compliance with the agreement. The Farc party confirmed that the events occurred in the Palmachica village, in the San Lucas mountain range.

https://lacuartavia.com/cuatro-lideres-sociales-asesinados-en-colombia-durante-el-fin-de-semana/

(Short article, no more at link.)


This has happened repeatedly: the leftist rebels have officially disarmed, signed peace agreements, and the right wing steps up an assassination program, killing as many of them as possible. When the leftist rebels, after peace agreements, have sought office, to have their voices heard, repeatedly they have been slaughtered, sometimes in public shocking, atrocious displays, as in ripping them to shreds with chain saws, to leave messages for the peasant communities, paralyze them with fear. For some reason, the victims have tried, over so many years, to seek an end to this!

~ ~ ~

August 29, 2020

Colombia admits lying about requesting paramilitary leader's extradition

by Adriaan Alsema August 28, 2020

The extradition of former paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso to Colombia is increasingly unlikely after the foreign ministry admitted the government lied about filing an extradition request.

Over the past weeks, Foreign Minister Claudia Blum and Peace Commissioner Miguel Ceballos went to great lengths to pretend they were seeking the Mancuso’s extradition from the US while they were not.

Ceballos on Tuesday said that the foreign ministry had requested the extradition of the former AUC chief twice. The peace commissioner lied.

Blum said on Wednesday that “the request for extradition will be formalized before the Department of State” if her department is able to translate 2,115 pages of legal documents before September 4.

The State Department has indicated on that day would expel Mancuso to Italy, where the former AUC chief also has citizenship, as it apparently still hasn’t received a formal extradition request from Colombia where many are nervous the former AUC chief will get them in prison.

“We have a narco-economy. We are a narco-scoiety,” Mancuso told the New York Times in 2008 as the demobilized AUC chief began revealing his ties with former President Alvaro Uribe‘s criminal inner circle.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/colombia-admits-lying-about-requesting-paramilitary-leaders-extradition/

August 27, 2020

(He's back, in a new article!) Teacher in rural Guatemala creates unique solution for classes

Teacher in rural Guatemala creates unique solution for classes during coronavirus confinement



Jaime Septién | Aug 27, 2020

This incredible young man is determined to help his students get an education, even under adverse circumstances.

Gerardo Ixcoy is a 27-year-old teacher and is proudly Guatemalan. He teaches in indigenous territory, where students have no access to mobile apps or computers. In fact, just having electricity there is something of a luxury.
What could he do for those indigenous children who have not been incorporated into the digital age, but who have been marginalized instead, as has happened too often in the region where Gerardo lives?

Gerardo’s school is the vast cornfields in the Mayan region of Santa Cruz de Quiché. His students are young indigenous children in the sixth year of primary school.

He felt that he had to teach them. There had to be an alternative to distance education. After all, why should indigenous children be excluded from having the education they need? Education is a universal right, after all. But what was the solution?

More:
https://aleteia.org/2020/08/27/teacher-in-rural-guatemala-creates-unique-solution-for-classes-during-coronavirus-confinement/

August 27, 2020

Colombia's Supreme Court receives 'proof' Uribe was involved in massacres

by Adriaan Alsema August 26, 2020

Colombia’s former chief prosecutor said Tuesday he has surrendered evidence that would prove former President Alvaro Uribe was complicit in two massacres to the Supreme Court.

According to former Prosecutor General Eduardo Montealegre, he filed criminal charges against Uribe and surrendered a 93-page document that would contain the evidence proving Uribe was complicit in the 1996 La Granja Massacre and the 1997 El Aro massacre.

. . .

The Supreme Court is additionally investigating if Uribe was involved in the 1998 assassination of human rights defender Jesus Maria Valle, who warned the former president of the impending massacres and was assassinated shortly after Uribe left office.

The war crimes tribunal is additionally investigating the Hidroituango hydro-electric dam project on suspicion that the paramilitary groups in the region where sowing terror to save Medellin energy company money in buying up land from local farmers.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/colombias-supreme-court-receives-proof-uribe-was-involved-in-massacres/

August 27, 2020

Colombia trying to whitewash massacres by coining term 'collective homicides'

by Adriaan Alsema August 26, 2020

Colombia’s President Ivan Duque-proposed to use the euphemism “collective homicide” instead of “massacre,” but was ignored after two particularly violent weeks.

Duque coined the euphemism used by the military earlier this week after five massacres and several other mass killings shocked the country and sparked fears of a relapse to the extreme violence of the beginning of the century.

. . .

None of the massacres this month appeared to be related to drug trafficking in any way, but Trujillo tried to use the massacres to seek support for his so-far failed attempts to resume the aerial fumigation of coca.

. . .

Several studies conducted during the country’armed conflict indicated that the mass media’s use of euphemisms in cases of violence committed by paramilitaries severely distorted public perception of the current reality in Colombia.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/colombia-trying-to-whitewash-massacres-by-coining-term-collective-homicides/