November 2, 2013 The dark side of Oscar Ivan Zuluaga By Leon ValenciaVer more articles by this author OPINIÓNA when nobody wants to mention these things . But the country should not lose sight of those references from past Zuluaga . The dark side of Oscar Ivan Zuluaga . Photo: Guillermo Torres Never fully know if Oscar Ivan Zuluaga was part para-politics or not . On the evidence weighing presidential candidate now similar to those that led to the conviction of other political leaders of the country. In the elections of 2002 came to the Senate with the Popular Convergence endorsement Civic , one of the parties that the paramilitaries used to form a parliamentary group , at that time received important feedback in areas controlled by these illegal forces , then he knew his relationship with Maribel Galvis , councilor of La Dorada, who declared their membership of the Defense Forces of Colombia , and later a email exchange with Ernesto Baez . But the prosecution considered these facts, the testimony sought Baez, who declared that he had supported Zuluaga , and produced a writ of prohibition . Failure is consistent with law that follows the steps of what has been the great judgment to parapolítica led by the Supreme Court. Always the prosecutors before the Court and the judges of this corporation have collected evidence and have collected several testimonies on those involved in the phenomenon of para-politics , but only until they get credible eyewitnesses statements give a leap in the process . In this case the trial was cut short for lack of merit . Zuluaga can rightly claim that they did not bother more with this topic. But there is a shadow that I note : Ernesto Baez and Julian Bolivar are silent about important events by paramilitaries. They were certainly two of the ten most important leaders of the Defense Forces of Colombia at the time of the negotiation of Ralito . Shared command of the Bloque Central Bolivar Carlos Mario Jimenez , alias Macaco, who was detained temporarily in a ship at sea before being extradited . They got the president not extradite Uribe and from there have eluded discuss some connections with the political and business world country . Bolivar and Baez soon regain their freedom and become more difficult to obtain from his lips some truth. But columnists are to bother with these stories. More when we have followed , step by step , its evolution. The first week of February 2007 was distressing to me. In an interview with Caracol Radio mentioned, among others , the name of Oscar Ivan Zuluaga . I said that it had received the support of the paramilitaries. He was talking about academic research we had done on the way the car parapolítica detention who had just uttered against the first seven parliamentarians from the Atlantic coast also referred in our inquiry. I was not doing any judicial office , Zuluaga was simply pointing out that he had been chosen by the same party of Carlos Clavijo and Rocio Arias , who did not conceal their links to the paramilitaries , and had won an important vote in areas recognized paramilitary presence . That allowed us to think that he had some tacit or explicit support of the paramilitaries. We knew it was very difficult to make without your permission policy in areas of influence. I was severely reprimanded by Darío Arizmendi . He said it was impossible for a man as honest as Oscar Ivan could be involved with paramilitaries. Half an hour passed and I received a call from President Uribe . He said he was in the Council of Ministers and the phone speaker would for dialogue with me . It was also a diatribe against our investigative work and in defense of the politicians involved , especially Oscar Ivan , who would be appointed Minister of Finance in the following days. I knew it would be a miracle to get to the bottom of this and other cases of Caldas parapolítica . I knew I had gotten into an issue too thorny . Now Oscar Ivan Zuluaga is a candidate with the potential to become President of the Republic. Now nobody wants to mention these things . Maybe I do not want to revisit the issue and henceforth devote my efforts to examine their campaign and program. But the country should not lose sight of these references from past Zuluaga . They are used to understand the inevitable subordination to Uribe. They serve to understand their tough stance against peace talks with the guerrillas.
Posted on: Sun, 03 Nov 2013 19:10:43 +0000
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