Paramilitary speaks out on Drummond murders (Alabama mining company)

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Colombia reports

Paramilitary speaks out on Drummond murders
Friday, 17 September 2010 09:50 Teresa Welsh

http://colombiareports.com.nyud.net:8090/pics/2010/09/jaime_blanco_maya.jpg

A paramilitary jailed for his role in the 2001 murders of two Drummond coal company unionists reveals more detail about the crime to RCN Radio. Jairo de Jesus Charris Castro, alias “El Viejo Migue," has been in prison since 2008. He says the killings were ordered by Jaime Blanco Maya, head of a company which provided cafeteria services at the Drummond mine in the Cesar department.

Charris told RCN that Blanco Maya ordered the murder of the two unionists because they complained to Drummond about the quality of the food, and he feared losing his $600,000-a-year contract. Blanco Maya, brother of former Colombian Inspector General Edgardo Maya, was arrested on September 6 in connection with the murders.

Charris claimed that Blanco Maya met with former AUC leader Ospino Pacheco to order the murders of Valmore Locarno and Victor Hugo Orcasita. The two men were president and vice president, respectively, of a labor union at Drummond, and were killed on March 12, 2001.

The paramilitary said that several meetings were held to plan the murder of the two men. Charris claims those involved an ex-CIA agent, and former Drummond employee Alfredo Araujo Castro, who signed Blanco Maya's contract with the multinational. The men decided to "put an end to the union," according to Charris.

Read more: http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/11899-paramilitary-drummond-unionists-murders.html