Colombia’s finance minister has been linked to a Supreme Court investigation into former President Alvaro Uribe over a mafia conspiracy to rig the 2018 elections in favor of President Ivan Duque.
Wiretaps have revealed that the late Jose Guillermo Hernandez, the alleged money launderer of drug trafficker Marquitos Figueroa, sought favors from Alberto Carrasquilla after he took office in 2018.
Recently released wiretaps prove Hernandez did not just conspire to rig the elections, but maintained ties with the Uribe’s Democratic Center (CD) party and the Duque administration after the president had taken office.
In the case of Carrasquilla, Hernandez was recorded talking about using his ties to the finance minister to recover assets seized from narcos.
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The alleged narco and the finance minister
Former President Alvaro Uribe (L) and mafia associate Luis Guillermo Hernandez. (Image: Instagram)
In one recording, the alleged “political arm” of Figueroa’s drug trafficking organization was talking about being with the finance minister and had met with him and CD Senator Maria del Rosario.
In a second recording, Hernandez indicated he would try to recover confiscated assets in the custody of the Special Assets Society (SAE) through Carrasquilla’s ministry.
So who is giving you shit? Who’s got your assets?
Jose Guillermo Hernandez
The SAE, man, the SAE
Unknown man
And that’s an affiliate of the Finance Ministry?
Jose Guillermo Hernandez
Of course, the SAE belongs to the Finance Ministry, you know? It’s like a branch of the Finance Ministry. So, see if you can do something so she can stay in the house or anything, you understand, mate?
Unknown man
Of course, send me that paper and I’ll see.
Jose Guillermo Hernandez
According to La FM, the court also wants to hear from del Rosario about what she knew about the money launderer who apparently maintained ties to the government and the ruling party until he was murdered in Brazil last year.
Wiretapping of drug trafficker reveals vote-buying for Duque on Uribe’s orders
The court’s growing wish list in the latest Uribe investigation
As part of Uribe’s alleged leading role in rigging the 2018 elections, the Supreme Court will summon the former president’s then-personal assistant, Maria Claudia Daza, to testify, as well as Duque’s friend, Luis Guillermo Echeverri, who was the president’s campaign manager, the radio station reported.
Former Defense Minister Guillermo Botero will reportedly also be summoned after wiretaps revealed Hernandez telling Daza he sought to set up a meeting between Duque and 15 mayors from Magdalena at a party hosted by the then-president of business association Fenalco.
Additionally, the court will reportedly order the National Electoral Council (CNE) to surrender details of the financial administration of Duque’s 2018 campaign and verify if he was a member of controversial ranchers federation Fedegan.
The CNE is also investigating alleged mafia involvement in a conspiracy with Uribe’s assistant to use a parallel budget for vote-buying in the provinces of Antioquia, Magdalena, La Guajira and Cesar.
While Congress is investigating Duque, the prosecution is supposed to be investigating those who appear in the wiretaps, but do not enjoy special privileges like Duque and his political patron.
Prosecutor General Francisco Barbosa, however, has been a good friend of Duque for more than 25 years, who has shown little interest in investigating the cesspool of corruption from which he emerged as chief prosecutor.
Daza left Colombia days after journalists revealed she was Uribe’s intermediary with the drug trafficking organization that allegedly helped Duque win the elections.
