Former AUC leader Salvatore Mancuso told Colombia’s Supreme Court Monday that former Congress President Javier Caceres sought paramilitary support in 2003.
Mancuso told the court that Caceres met with paramilitary leaders in late 2003, seeking support for political campaigning.
According to the former paramilitary leader, the ex-congressman met with Uber Banquez Martinez, alias “Juancho Dique”, to support political candidates in local elections in the Bolivar department.
Candidates that benefited from his support include jailed Bolivar Governor Libardo Simancas and convicted congressman Alfonso Lopez Cossio.
The deal between Caceres and Juancho Dique involved “allowing the participation of political leaders in zones under [Dique’s] control,” Mancuso said.
At the beginning of the audience, Mancuso stated that the government failed to provide adequate security for him and his family.