Uribe to promote ‘no’ rather than abstention in peace vote: Senators

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Colombia Reports

Uribe to promote ‘no’ rather than abstention in peace vote: Senators

written by Adriaan Alsema July 27, 2016

Colombia’s conservative opposition, led by former President Alvaro Uribe, will promote a “No” vote in an upcoming plebiscite to ratify a pending peace deal with the FARC, senators of his party said Tuesday.

The Democratic Center (CD), the only political party in Colombia opposing the deal has been deliberating for weeks what its most viable option is to oppose the ratification of a deal with the FARC.

The Colombian people will ask to vote either “Yes” or “No” to the deal that has been negotiated by the administration of President Juan Manuel Santos for more than four years.

The Constitutional Court last week ruled that the winning vote only needs to obtain the approval of a minimum of 13% of the electorate amid fears that traditionally low turnouts in elections could render the plebiscite invalid.


Read more: http://colombiareports.com/uribe-promote-no-rather-abstention-peace-vote-senators/

[Judi Lynn]

1. Uribe’s problems with Colombia’s justice just went from bad to worse

Uribe’s problems with Colombia’s justice just went from bad to worse

written by Stephen Gill July 27, 2016

The legal problems of Colombia’s former President Alvaro Uribe aggravated Tuesday when a Bogota court ordered evidence of his alleged participation in the wiretapping of political opponents to be sent to the competent judicial authorities.

The ruling by the Bogota district court was part of the sentencing of one of Uribe’s top intelligence officials who was sentenced to eight years in prison for his role in the illegal wiretapping of the Supreme Court, human rights organizations, journalists and politicians who apparently posed a risk to his administration.

Congress’ Accusations Committee has been officially investigating Uribe since 2011 over the wiretapping scandal that has become known as the “Colombian Watergate.”

The scandal spurred major tensions between Uribe and the Supreme Court and the eventual dismantling of intelligence agency DAS.


More:
http://colombiareports.com/uribes-problems-colombias-justice-just-went-bad-worse/

[geek tragedy]

2. why isn't he in prison? nt

[Judi Lynn]

3. He should be. He has the most powerful friends in high places: violent friends in Colombia,

a list which used to include Pablo Escobar, and the entire A.U.C. (narcotrafficking death squad machine, which was instructed by a notorious Israeli war profiteer) to powerful US allies, including George W. Bush, who gave him the Medal of freedom.

[center]



[/center]

[geek tragedy]

4. such a nasty, vile man nt

[Judi Lynn]

5. Couldn't get much creepier, or spiteful, vindictive, or cold blooded.

His brother helped organize the AUC.

The AUC was notorious for not only having a strong presence in the voting places, but actually going into the voting booths with villagers to make sure they voted for the right person, and, unbelievably, but so fiendishly true, dismembering people in small towns with chain saws, done not because chainsaws are effective, but because they leave a lasting impression in the minds of any survivors, and spread terror far more effectively.

They did it many, many times, intending to paralyze the population with fear to the point they would be completely compliant, and do whatever was demanded of them, to avoid such a grisly, terrifying end themselves, or for one of their loved ones.

The AUC were also perfect as assassins for anyone someone in government wanted out of the way, including a famous political comedian, Jaime Garzon.

A few years ago, Uribe's government went through the charade of "demobilizing" the AUC, but what happened was that the old groups merely divided into many smaller groups and took new names, like "Black Eagles" and continued doing the very same things. The government at that time started claiming the smaller groups were merely "bands of criminals" or "BRIC." However, all the human rights groups like Amnesty International, HRW, etc. have stated that they are the same people, doing the same things, helping the same greedy politicians get more money, more power, fewer opponents, etc.