Colombia: “Para-politics” scandal continues

An ex-senior official of Colombia’s main intelligence agency claimed that several agencies and institutions have been infiltrated by paramilitary groups. If true, then Rafael Garcia’s testimony in front of the Colombian Supreme Court paints a stark portrait of a very corrupt government:

Garcia Torres said…that paramilitarism penetrated as far as the office of the Chief Prosecutor…and also that former Environment Minster Sandra Suarez Perez was possibly “a former collaborator with paramilitaries.”

He also assured that there was paramilitary infiltration in the National Civil Registry…in the Departments of Interior, Foreign Relations, Agriculture, Environment, Communications, and Transportation…and in the Navy and Colombian Embassy in Panama. [Ed. – personal translation]

The Supreme Court recently opened preliminary investigations against four senators with supposed links to paramilitaries, while seven soldiers were arrested Wednesday after being accused of assisting with paramilitary drug smuggling operations.

Update: Now we can add the president of the Colombian Senate to the list of politicians being investigated for possible links to paramilitaries.

Sources (English)- International Herald Tribune

Sources (Spanish)- El Tiempo, Caracol Radio

Image- Javno