Colombia’s former Senate president has accused his successor of having teamed up with a paramilitary commander, local media reported on Wednesday.
According to Conservative Party Senator Juan Manuel Corzo, Senate President Juan Fernando Cristo (Liberal Party) and his brother Andres Cristo, Senator elect for the same party have been embroiled in “parapolitics,” a term used to describe the practice of teaming up with illegal armed groups for political or electoral gain.
FACT SHEET: Parapolitics
This is not the first time that Corzo, a staunch political rival of Cristo, has made allegations that the Cristo brothers have ties with paramilitary groups.
In the past, Cristo has been investigated for links to paramilitary groups with Corzo stating that the Liberal was working with convicted parapolitician and ex-mayor of Cucuta, Ramiro Suarez, who was sentenced to 27 years in prison for his role in the murder of a political opponent.
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