An extradited AUC commander testified that his paramilitary group supported former president Alvaro Uribe’s 2002 presidential campaign in the south of Colombia, El Espectador reported Saturday.
Guillermo Perez Alzate, alias ‘Pablo Sevillano’ former AUC commander, claimed that he was in constant contact with Salvador Escobar, the presidential campaign manager of then-candidate Uribe in the department of Nariño. In a meeting, it was agreed that Pablo Sevillano’s troops would accompany Uribe to rallies in exchange for money for the troops’ expenses. He claims that near the end of the campaign, he attended a social gathering at Club Colombia, Pasto, where Escobar thanked him for the service he had offered.
The testimony also gave many details of the relationship with then mayor of Tuquerres, a town in Nariño department, Gloria Bolaños and how she was able to gain popularity among the voters with the support of the paramilitaries. Pablo Sevillano went on to state that he frequently communicated with two other politicians; Congresswoman Miryam Paredes Aguirre and Senator Eduardo Enriquez Maya. He said that he offered security protection to the politicians during a public rally in 2001 which they gratefully accepted.
Pablo Sevillano, former commander of Libertadores del Sur Bloc, gave testimony to the Supreme Court in May 2010. It was taken up again after investigations into the “network of favors” scandal by the National Narcotics Office (DNE). He was extradited to the United States in 2008, where he was convicted for drug trafficking a year later.
Sevillano’s statements come a month after another former paramilitary commander claimed that he financially supported Uribe’s presidential campaign. Pablo Hernan Sierra said that troops from the central Colombian Cacique Pipinta Bloc raised $140,000 for the campaign and offered Uribe security while campaigning in the Caldas department.
Uribe has always denied receiving paramilitary support during his political career.