Senator Adriana Gutiérrez (Partido de la U), who is investigated by the
Supreme Court for her alleged ties with paramilitaries, resigned
Friday.
The senator’s spokesman who announced the resignation did not say why the senator resigned now. The so-called parapolitics investigation began in April 2007 and according to the spokesman, there is no arrest warrant for the lawmaker.
The court started investigating the senator and current Finance Minister Óscar Ívan Zuluaga after photos appeared of the two politicians with a Caldas politician who was part of paramilitary organization AUC.
During the investigation e-mails appeared sent from paramilitary boss ‘Ernesto Baez’ to Gutiérrez and Zuluaga. Convicted lawmaker Rocio Arias testified that paramilitaries in Caldas intimidated voters to get Gutiérrez into Congress.
The investigation against the minister was dismissed. He has denied any links between him and Gutiérrez and the paramilitaries.