‘Negro Vladimir’ had been released from prison in 2005 after serving 16 of his 30 year sentence. He is considered responsible for some of Colombia’s most brutal massacres.De Jesús Baquero was arrested in a private hospital in Cali, after statements by demobilized paramilitaries had linked him to the murder of the left wing politician. According to the prosecution, ‘Negro Vladimir’ received the orders for the murders directly from paramilitary heads Fidel and Carlos Castaño.The UP, formed in 1985 by the FARC to negotiate peace with the conservative government of Belisario Betancur, was subjected to numerous violent attacks. Several of its political leaders were assassinated and official estimates say between 2,000 and 5,000 followers of the leftist party were murdered.The prosecution doesn’t rule out it will open investigations into military personnel into the murder of the UP leader.
