Students and colleagues of Miguel Angel Beltran, the Colombian
who was extradited from Mexico because he allegedly is a member of the
FARC, say the scholar has nothing to do with the rebels.
“The charges for which he is accused seem totally out of place. We are concerned and offended,” the coordinator of the Latin American Studies center of the Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM) said in a press conference.
According to the colleague, “Beltran only is directly linked to an academic work.”
Mexican authorities revealed Beltran was expelled because he did not have the required paperwork to stay in Mexico any longer.
According to one of the scholar’s students, Beltran was extradited “arbitrarily”, because the country’s immigration service “violated the normal terms and delays to wait for the government to come up with the judicial requirements.”
The student says the man who is now awaiting trial in a Colombian jail “is a person who is very dedicated to study” and a man critical of both the government and the FARC.
Colombia’s Prosecutor General’s Office claims to have over 200 pieces of evidence that link Beltran to the FARC. The scholar declared himself innocent when charged with the crimes of rebellion and seeking funds to finance terrorist activities.
