Colombia's top prosecutor grinds on

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Christian Science Monitor

Colombia's top prosecutor grinds on
Attorney General Mario Iguarán has been praised for his willingness to uncover the war-torn country's grisly past. But how far will he go?
By Sibylla Brodzinsky | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
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Reporters on the Job
We share the story behind the story. Bogotá, Colombia - Whether he's scouring a legal text, arguing before a judge, or watching as experts unearth mass graves, Colombia's chief prosecutor Mario Iguarán is constantly aware of the crucial role he plays in the country's attempt to uncover – and move beyond – its grisly past.

Mr. Iguarán is overseeing a difficult process to prosecute the gruesome crimes of Colombia's right-wing paramilitary groups and the network of politicians and military officers that supported and collaborated with them.

"It is Colombia's moment of truth," says Iguarán, perched on the edge of a distressed leather chair in his office.

Iguarán is not just a coincidental player in this historic moment, he helped create it. As deputy minister for justice during President Álvaro Uribe's first term, Iguarán drafted the initial version of the "Peace and Justice" law in 2005 that offered demobilized paramilitaries reduced sentences for confessing their crimes and compensating their victims. Since then, more than 31,000 paramilitary fighters have demobilized.

More recently, 14 senators and congressmen, and dozens of local and regional politicians, have been jailed on charges of colluding with paramilitaries, earning Iguarán the respect of human rights workers and average Colombians who had lost virtually all trust in the country's commitment to justice.


Read more: http://www.csmonitor.com/2007/0608/p06s02-woam.html