Colombia’s notorious “emerald czar” Victor Carranza has two types of cancer, the Prosecutor General’s Office (PG) revealed Thursday.
“The 76-year-old man has prostate cancer four years in development as well as lung cancer which has been metastasizing for 20 months,” said a medical examiner from the PG.
This life-threatening illness will need chemotherapy treatment every three weeks if Carranza is to have any chance of survival, the report revealed.
Carranza is currently under investigation for allegedly employing paramilitaries to protect his emerald empire. He was accused and convicted for similar crimes in 1998 but was later absolved of them. Prosecutors opened a new investigation against Carranza earlier this month after ex-paramilitary Freddy Rendon Herrera “El Aleman” implicated him in financing armed groups.
The emerald czar has claimed he was extorted by paramilitary groups operating near his mines.