Uribe's cousin seeks asylum amid Colombia probe

[Judi Lynn]

Uribe's cousin seeks asylum amid Colombia probe
Tue Apr 22, 2008 2:54pm EDT

Uribe's cousin seeks asylum amid Colombia probe
Tue Apr 22, 2008 2:54pm EDT
By Patrick Markey

BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's cousin sought asylum in Costa Rica on Tuesday after prosecutors ordered him arrested for suspected ties to paramilitary squads in a deepening scandal for the U.S. ally.

The investigation of Mario Uribe, for years a congressman and the president's confidant, will fuel concerns among U.S. Democrats who oppose a Colombian trade deal partly due to worries over links between dozens of lawmakers and paramilitary commanders.
(snip)

Mario Uribe stepped down from the Senate in October last year to protect himself from questions from the Supreme Court, which investigates public officials. But the attorney general has kept up its probe into his ties with militia warlords.

Former paramilitary commanders have testified as part of their peace deal that Uribe worked out deals with militias to help him take control of farmland and also to seek their political backing.

Paramilitary groups originally were formed by wealthy land owners to counter rebels in areas where state presence was weak. But their influence soon mushroomed as they took control of large swaths of the Andean country.

More:
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2229946220080422?sp=true

[Judi Lynn]

1. Uribe cousin ordered held in Colombia 'para' probe

Uribe cousin ordered held in Colombia 'para' probe
BOGOTA, Apr 22 (Reuters) Colombian authorities today ordered the arrest of President Alvaro Uribe's cousin and one of his closest allies for suspected ties to paramilitary death squads in a deepening political scandal.

The probe into Mario Uribe, who has been the president's political confidant for years, could fuel concerns among US Democrats who oppose a Colombian trade deal partly because of worries over lingering paramilitary influence in politics.
(snip)

The former lawmaker, who has previously denied any wrongdoing, will be arrested if he does not surrender to the chief prosecutor's office in Bogota.

Mario Uribe stepped down from the Senate in October last year to protect himself from questions from the Supreme Court, which investigates public officials. But the attorney general has kept up its probe into his ties with militia warlords.

Hundreds of former paramilitary commanders disbanded their armies under a deal with Uribe's government, which allowed them short jail terms for promising to confess their crimes and compensate their victims.

But rights groups and some US lawmakers worry the former commanders have kept their criminal networks alive from their jail cells and they want Uribe to do more to curb their lingering influence and protect trade unionists before they back a free trade deal for his government.

http://www.deepikaglobal.com/ENG4_sub.asp?ccode=ENG4&newscode=18463

[Judi Lynn]

2. Colombia's Mario Uribe Asks for Asylum After Arrest Warrant

Colombia's Mario Uribe Asks for Asylum After Arrest Warrant
By Andrea Jaramillo

April 22 (Bloomberg) -- Former Colombian Senator Mario Uribe asked Costa Rica for political asylum after a prosecutor ordered his arrest for alleged ties to paramilitary groups, El Tiempo newspaper said, citing his attorney, Jose del Carmen Ortega.

Uribe, a cousin of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe, went to the Costa Rican embassy in Bogota today on the grounds that he doesn't have adequate procedural guarantees in Colombia, the daily newspaper said, citing a source it didn't name. He has repeatedly denied links to paramilitary death squads.

Mario Uribe's arrest would bring to 33 the number of lawmakers detained in a growing scandal over alleged ties to paramilitary groups, Bogota-based El Tiempo said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aM02hYNyJysQ&refer=latin_america