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🇵🇾 Paraguay /Crime & Justice

Uribe before questioning by Colombia’s Fiscalía: “I am here to say I have not been a murderer”

From ABC Color · () Spanish

Translated from Spanish and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Newswire From a news agency In the courts
  • Former Colombian President Álvaro Uribe appeared for questioning over alleged responsibility, by action or omission, in the El Aro and La Granja massacres and the killing of human rights defender Jesús María Valle.
  • Uribe denied links to paramilitarism and said the allegations were promoted by political opponents.
  • The investigation concerns killings carried out by paramilitary groups in Antioquia during and after Uribe’s tenure as governor.

Álvaro Uribe entered Colombia’s Fiscalía on Friday with a blunt message: “I am here to say I have not been a murderer.” The former president was appearing for questioning over allegations tied to the El Aro and La Granja massacres and the killing of human rights defender Jesús María Valle.

I am here to say I have not been a murderer.

· Álvaro UribeUribe spoke to reporters before entering the Fiscalía for questioning.

Uribe said he once believed he had served the nation, but now had to defend himself against accusations connected to events that took place while he was governor of Antioquia from 1995 to 1997. He described the case as part of a broader series of accusations promoted by what he called his “political opponents.”

The Fiscalía is examining whether Uribe bears responsibility, through action or omission, for massacres in rural areas of Ituango. Paramilitary groups killed peasants there in 1996 and 1997. The case also includes Valle’s murder in Medellín on Feb. 27, 1998. Valle had reported the activity of paramilitary groups in Ituango and their alleged links with members of the security forces to several authorities, including Uribe before his term as governor ended.

I believed I had served the nation, but today I am here to say I have not been a murderer.

· Álvaro UribeHe described his purpose in appearing before prosecutors.

Uribe again rejected allegations associating him with paramilitarism. He said drug trafficking and paramilitary organizations declined during his government. He also invoked constitutional guarantees for former President Gustavo Petro, despite the political differences between their movements, saying he preferred those guarantees to a “tooth for a tooth” or “eye for an eye” approach.

political opponents

· Álvaro UribeUribe characterized the accusations against him as part of allegations promoted by his political adversaries.

Uribe linked his appearance to the judicial process involving his brother Santiago Uribe. In June, Colombia’s Supreme Court upheld a sentence of 28 years and three months in prison for creating the paramilitary group Los Doce Apóstoles, which has been blamed for about 525 killings in Antioquia.

Faced with him, as with any citizen accused justly or unjustly, I prefer to uphold the same constitutional guarantees I claim for myself, rather than fall into a rabid attitude of tooth for a tooth or eye for an eye.

· Álvaro UribeUribe said he supported constitutional guarantees for Gustavo Petro despite their political differences.
About this summary

Originally published by ABC Color in Spanish. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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