Colombia’s Interior and Justice Minister claims that he was not investigated for “FARC-politics” because President Alvaro Uribe authorized his negotiation with the guerrillas.
Minister Fabio Valencia Cossio answered questions posed by Polo Democratico Senator Jorge Enrique Robledo, (currently being investigated by the PG’s Office for alleged “FARC-politics”) who demanded to know why Cossio has not been investigated for contacts with the FARC when he, Robledo, had.
“The difference was that I was authorized by President Uribe and acted as an ambassador from Rome,” replied Cossio, justifying contact he had had with the guerrillas in the past, in a report by Caracol Radio.
Between 1999 and 2001, Valencia Cossio was one of the national government’s negotiators with FARC guerrillas, and, following the failure of negotiations, resigned his senate seat and was appointed Ambassador to Italy.