Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos Santos is facing legal action for authorizing a trip of FARC leader “Timochenko” to Cuba where the leftist guerrillas are holding peace talks with the government.
A lawyer close to former President and current Senator Alvaro Uribe, a fierce opponent of the talks, told Caracol Radio on Wednesday that he plans to file charges before the Congressional committee in charge of investigating alleged crimes committed by sitting presidents.
According to lawyer Guillermo Rodriguez, Santos’ decision to authorize Timochenko’s trip is an act of malfeasance, negligence and treason.
Rodriguez claimed that Colombia’s head of state in effect protected Timochenko, in spite of the fact that the FARC leader’s arrest warrants were not lifted by the appropriate authorities.
MORE: FARC leader ‘Timochenko’ visited Colombia’s peace talks in Cuba
“It could be interpreted as protection of ‘Timochenko’ and facilitation of his travel from Venezuela to Cuba,” clarified Rodriguez in an interview with Caracol Radio, implying that Santos failed to execute his administrative, legal and constitutional duties.
“Timochenko” visited ongoing peace talks with the government in Havana on two occasions, the government confirmed last Thursday. Unofficial sources have claimed the FARC leader was flying from Venezuela, Colombia’s neighbor to the east and one of the talks’ four guarantor countries.
According to the government, “Timochenko” did not meet with government delegation members.
The FARC has been engaged with peace talks since 2012. If successful, the talks will end 50 years of political violence between the rebels and the state.
Sources:
Presentarán denuncia contra presidente Santos por autorizar viaje de ‘Timochenko’ a Cuba (El Espectador)