Authorities on Wednesday announced the arrest of a suspected guerrilla who they believe to have been a key figure in the kidnap and murder of the governor of Caqueta.
The alleged guerrilla, Henry Sarmiento Lee, alias “El Paisa,” was arrested in Medellin. He is accused of planning the operation that ended in the murder of Luis Francisco Cuellar, governor of the Caqueta department.
The Prosecutor General’s Office authorized the arrest and criminal proceedings against the suspected member of the FARC’s Teofilo Forero column, who is expected to be charged with terrorism, rebellion, extortion, and kidnapping.
According to newspaper El Espectador, “El Paisa” will remain in prison while judicial proceedings are established, and the trial should begin within days.
The authorities expressed their hope that this arrest might be a step towards understanding the circumstances surrounding the murder of Cuellar. The bid to capture those responsible prompted a vehement reaction from the Colombian armed forces in the country’s eastern plains and throughout Amazonia.