Colombia's intelligence agency allied with death squads in unionist murder: Court

[gbscar]

Source: Colombia Reports

Colombia's intelligence agency allied with death squads in unionist murder: Court
Friday, 10 June 2011 07:26
Jim Glade

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The court's decision is the first that directly states an alliance between the AUC and DAS and was handed down March 30, 2011 at the conviction of extradited paramilitary leader "Jorge 40" who commanded the AUC's Northern bloc.

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Alfredo Correa de Andreis, a sociologist and professor at the northern universities of Atlantico and Simon Bolivar was murdered after being released from a month long detention by police for allegedly being the FARC guerrilla alias "Eulogio." According to the courts, with lack of evidence the court released Correa and upon his release he was killed by Rodrigo Tovar Pupo, alias "Jorge 40," and his bodyguard with the participation of intelligence agency DAS.

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The statement continues, "Under the direction of Jorge Noguera - director of DAS between 2002 and 2005-," it is "proposed that high officials from DAS discretely collaborated with the AUC, in particular with the Nothern bloc led by Jorge 40."

"It is appropriate to acknowledge that it is not simply isolated subjects that simply undertook a crime against the trade union movement ... the assassination against trade unionists in Colombia operates and has operated with the collaboration of state agents at high levels," said Cordoba.

Alirio Uribe, a lawyer for the victims in the case against former DAS leader Jorge Noguera reported to El Tiempo that both the former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe and the United States were aware of such cooperation which he says provided hit lists to Jorge 40 as well as databases on the profiles of trade unionists.

In March, the Colombian government reclaimed land that Jorge 40's Northern bloc had stolen from peasants in the northern Magdalena department.

During testimony in April, former deputy director of counter intelligence for DAS, Jorge Alberto Lagos, said that when he reviewed the organization in 2007, he discovered that paramilitaries had infiltrated all areas and positions, above all during the directorship of Jorge Noguera.


Read more: http://www.colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/16873-state-intelligence-agency-allied-with-paramilitaries-in-unionist-murder-court.html

[Judi Lynn]

1. This is an astonishing ruling from a Colombian court. Many onlookers from outside Colombia

had learned about these killing a long time ago by keeping careful watch for any information in news reports. It looked as if the collusion between the government and these death squads had become a permanent feature.

What a surprise to see this ruling. The article's opening line:

Colombia's intelligence agency DAS made an alliance with the paramilitary organization AUC in the 2004 murder of a trade union representative, a court ruled.

Not sure what this tells us about the future position of Santos' administration, but WHAT A CHANGE this is from the routine of the Uribe days.

Thank you for this new information.

US Americans need to remember Colombia's government has been THE ally of the US government and US-based multinationals in South America for many years, using Colombia as a "forward operating" platform, a "lilly pad" from which to operate regarding other Latin America nations, and an open door for huge US companies to help themselves to a vast cheap labor pool, low wages, no or low safety regulations, retirement, workers' comp, etc., and what has seemed endless energy and mineral wealth, and agricultural products like bananas, and bio-fuels, and palm oil, etc., not to mention the boatloads of flowers we find everywhere.

People who have worked on behalf of exploited, misused workers have been doomed for many years, making Colombia the world's worst country for murder of union workers. It has all been intended to destroy resistance to abuse of workers. Seeing a high court actually moving forward and ruling there has been a connection made, formally, to Uribe's own intelligence agency under Noguera is astounding.

[Judi Lynn]

2. It should be remembered that Colombia has been the US's 3rd largest foreign aid recipient

coming right behind Israel and what was Egypt for many, many years.

It's doubtful much has happened in Colombia without total US knowledge.

[txlibdem]

3. Remember South/Central American nations: the USA is your friend -- never mind the murders + torture

Trust the Americans! We're not going to secretly send our CIA experts in to your country to train death squads ever again. We promise!

:hi:

[bvar22]

4. Thank You.

The Populist Reforms sweeping across South/Central America gives me hope for The World.
This is the first good news I have heard for Colombia in a long time.
I would LOVE to see the Right Wing Death Squad Oligarchs in Colombia replaced with Populist Reform Government.

"The worst enemy of humanity is U.S. capitalism. That is what provokes uprisings like our own, a rebellion against a system, against a neoliberal model, which is the representation of a savage capitalism. If the entire world doesn't acknowledge this reality, that nation states are not providing even minimally for health, education and nourishment, then each day the most fundamental human rights are being violated."
----Bolivian Reform President Evo Morales

FDR said much the same thing in 1944 with his Economic Bill of Rights.
Bolivian President Evo Morales sounds more like FDR than anyone in the current Democratic Party Leadership.

VIVA Democracy!!!
I hope we get some here soon!

[Arctic Dave]

5. Good gravy, I was thinking when I clicked on this it was an eighties event.

Not a couple of years ago.



Justice be done.