Colombia: Uribe's Cousin Probed on Death Squad Links

I am losing count, but I think we now have probes and indictments against the head of Colombia's Army, the head of the secret police, the ex-Foreign Minster's father and cousin, at least a dozen pro-Uribe legislators and now we have President Uribe's own first cousin. This comes a week after a video surfaced showing then candidate Uribe meeting with a most wanted terrorist.

The worst fears of conscientious observers is being confirmed in front of the world's eyes, but is barely being reported on because it is a bit inconvenient to have the Empire's bulwark against Chavismo implicated in such crimes. We now have proof that Colombia's most influential political, military and business figures helped build and assisted death squads and terrorists to operate with impunity, kill civilians and send cocaine to the U.S.

STILL, with the walls crumbling around Mr Uribe, we must read about conservative Canadian President wanting to cozy up to Uribe at this very moment. We must also read that Colombia's Foreign Minister thinks that anyone who has doubts about Uribe and his Government must be treated like "slow students." Likewise the Economist bemoans the fact that the international community does not show enough love towards Uribe and his Government. Darn state sponsored terrorism... how dare it interfere with trade preferences and military aid deals


Cousin of Colombia's Uribe probed for "para" links
By Hugh Bronstein
BOGOTA (Reuters) - A scandal linking political allies of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe to right-wing death squads deepened on Wednesday when the Supreme Court opened an investigation into his first cousin, Senator Mario Uribe.

The president's international standing has already been damaged by the scandal in which his former security chief and some of his closest allies in Congress have been jailed and are awaiting trial for supporting paramilitary militias.

The scandal began late last year when members of Congress admitted they had signed a document agreeing to support paramilitary groups formed in the 1980s to help defend drug lords and cattle ranchers against left-wing rebels.

Since the 1990s the "paras" have grown rich on Colombia's multibillion-dollar cocaine trade and notorious for massacring peasants suspected of leftist sympathies.

"It is very worrying that the 'para-political' scandal is getting closer and closer to the president's inner circle," said Jorge Rojas, head of Colombia's top human rights group.
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