Colombian ex-senator and peace activist Piedad Cordoba accused Venezuelan presidential candidate Henrique Capriles of receiving paramilitary support.
In an interview with Venezuelan state television channel, VTV, Cordoba claimed that Capriles was enjoying the financial support of Colombian companies with paramilitary connections.
She added that the candidacy of Capriles had been aided by former Colombian president Alvaro Uribe and Venezuelan companies operating in Colombia. Cordorba’s comments come just months before the October 7 presidential election, when Venezuelans will decide who governs for the next six years.
Cordoba made a name for herself criticizing Uribe and his links to paramilitaries, labelling him a “paramilitary president” and urging neighboring Latin American countries to break diplomatic ties with his administration.
She has also been a prominent part of various FARC hostage release operations, acting as a mediator through her NGO, Colombians For Peace.
In 2010, the Inspector General’s Office barred Cordoba from holding public office for 18 years following allegations that she had collaborated with the FARC.
VTV is a state-owned television station in Venezuela and has regularly been used to propagate the political messages of President Hugo Chavez.