Colombia’s prosecution has opened further accusations against former general Flavio Buitrago, the second former security chief of ex-president Alvaro Uribe with alleged ties to paramilitary drug traffickers.
The former general of the police has been accused of links with the “Bloque Central Bolivar” (BCB) paramilitary organization during his time as security chief serving under Uribe.
The money laundering unit is investigating whether Buitrago had links with any other criminal organizations, according to newspaper El Espectador.
According to El Espectador, officials first became aware of alleged links between Buitrago and the paramilitaries from the DEA in the United States, who informed that Buitrago’s name was often mentioned by extradited paramilitaries in jail in Miami.
On 3 December 2013, the chief prosecutor of the case travelled to Miami to meet the incarcerated Carlos Mario Jimenez Naranjo , alias Macaco, the former head of the BCB.
It was revealed that Macaco first had contact with Buitrago in 1996 when he was serving in the police department of Antioquia, and from that point onwards was on the payroll of the paramilitaries.
Macaco said that the Gaula, the police unit charged with combating extortion and kidnapping, under the control of Buitrago effectively became an extension of the paramilitaries during that time.
Macaco accused Buitrago and his Gaula police unit of actively helping the BCB during this time. “They helped us with intelligence, to facilitate BCB movements; we also had advanced information on the Government to help move around the city . We all had a security scheme and Colonel Buitrago helped us,” said Macaco.
The prosecutors also recalled the links between Buitrago and drug traffickers for which he has already been arrested.
MORE: Uribe’s former security chief arrested over links to Bogota crime lord
Buitrago was accused of having links with Marco Antonio Gil , alias El Papero, as well as another drug trafficker. Jaime Dib Mor. Buitrago is accused of helping them launder money.
The former general is the second of Uribe’s former personal security chiefs accused of ties to paramilitary groups; Buitrago’s predecessor, former General Mauricio Santoyo is imprisoned in the United States after being convicted of leaking information to paramilitaries.
Sources
- El ‘dossier’ contra el general Flavio Buitrago (El Espectador)