Colombia’s Prosecutor General’s Office has called the country’s ambassador to Peru to trial for the diplomat’s alleged links to paramilitaries, local media reported Thursday.
Jorge Visbal Martelo, the former president of the Colombian Federation of Cattle Ranchers (Fedegan) and current ambassador to Peru, is being formally investigated by the prosecutor general after two paramilitary commanders accused him of holding meetings with paramilitary organization AUC leaders.
Salvatore Mancuso, alias “Ernesto Baez,” and Ivan Roberto Duque, alias “Daniel Centella,” told investigators that they met with Martelo in 2004 to discuss the re-election of former President Alvaro Uribe. They also said former Minister of the Interior and Justice Sabas Pretelt de la Vega and former commander of the AUC Ridrigo Tovar Pupo, alias “Jorge 40,” also participated in the meetings.
Another testimony claimes that Martelo met with paramilitary leaders in 1998 as well.
Martelo has been the ambassador to Peru since early 2011.