Colombia Reports

Colombia's Supreme Court opened preliminary investigation against members of Congress Piedad Córdoba, Gloria Inés Ramírez and Wilson Borja. Information found on slain FARC-commander Raúl Reyes' computers are enough to allow the Prosecution to build a case against the lawmakers, the Court ruled.The lawmakers are part of a group of opposition politicians and journalists, who the government accuses of having ties with the FARC.Senator Ramírez and House representative Borja are mentioned in several e-mails on the computers of 'Reyes', Senator Córdoba allegedly is mentioned in at least 900 e-mails.The Colombian government officially appointed Córdoba, together with Venezuelan President Hugo Chávez, to negotiate the release of hostages held by the leftist rebels, but released them from their duty shortly after. Chávez and Córdoba were able to negotiate the liberation of six hostage.According to e-mails from Reyes' computer, published by U.S. newspaper the Wall Street Journal and Colombian weekly Semana, Córdoba adviced the FARC not to release the recently rescued Ingrid Betancourt. The secretariat of the FARC allegedly had Córdoba in mind as part of a transitional government, after the Colombian government was overthrown.The accused claim the accusations are no more than a "smokescreen" to hide the government's own scandals like the ties between Uribistas and paramilitary groups and the alleged corruption of Yidis Medina to allow Uribe's re-election in 2006.