5,000 demobilized paramilitaries unaccounted for

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Colombia Reports

5,000 demobilized paramilitaries unaccounted for
Sunday, 23 January 2011 07:12 Adriaan Alsema

Colombian authorities have no idea of the whereabouts of some 5,000 former paramilitary fighters who were part of the massive demobilization of the AUC, newspaper El Tiempo reported on Sunday. According to the newspaper, the 5,000 are part of the 31,000 fighters who demobilized between 2003 and 2006, but have fell of the radar, because they stopped reporting to the country's reintegration agency.

Following a new law, adopted in December after the Constitutional Court ruled that the massive exclusion of prosecution of paramilitaries was against the constitution, those who demobilized are obliged to report their whereabouts to authorities. Those who do not comply to the new regulations will be kicked out of the Justice and Peace program that allows former paramilitaries to receive economic support and education.

El Tiempo reported that authorities are concerned many of these former members of the AUC have joined neo-paramilitary gangs like the "Urabeños," "Aguilas Negras" or "Paisas" or run the risk of joining these gangs.

1,500 of the "disappeared" paramilitaries are from Antioquia, traditionally a hotbed for extreme right-wing fighters, but also the capital Bogota and the departments of Cordoba, Cesar and Meta have high number of demobilized paramilitaries who are unaccounted for.

Read more: http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/13874-5000-demobilized-paramilitaries-unaccounted-for.html

[somone]

1. And their weaponry, of course

[aquart]

2. Somalia with Erik Prince?

[Judi Lynn]

3. Supreme Court to revise 3 parapolitics cases

Supreme Court to revise 3 parapolitics cases
Monday, 24 January 2011 06:57 Adriaan Alsema

Colombia's Supreme Court will revise the cases against three congressmen who are accused of ties to paramilitary death squads, but were absolved or released early.

According to Caracol Radio, the three congressmen are Miguel de la Espriella, Jairo Merlano and Ciro Ramirez.

De la Espriella is most known for revealing the names of the Ralito pact, a treaty between politicians and paramilitary leaders in 2001. The congressman was sentenced in May 2007, but released in December 2008 after a Bogota court ruled that his conviction was illegal. In December 2010, De la Espriella was barred from holding public office for his ties to paramilitaries.

Merlano was the first congressman to resigned in 2006 to avoid appearing before the Supreme Court. He was then controversially absolved of charges by a Bogota court.

Ramirez, the former president of the Conservative Party, was absolved by a Bogota judge in late 2010. He was accused of helping a drug trafficking ring with ties to paramilitaries in the first years of this century.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/13878-supreme-court-to-revise-3-parapolitics-cases.html