said Thursday that the Colombian government lacks the ability to protect the families of all extradited paramilitaries.
Colombia on Thursday appointed Supreme Court Judge Ivan Velasquez to oversee the testimony of paramilitaries in U.S. jails, to ensure that judicial processes involving the extradited paramilitaries move forward and that the Colombian justice system has full access to those in custody.
Over 1,400 Colombians have been extradited since the process was appoved in 1984, including more than 12 leaders of paramilitary coalition the AUC since 2006.
The extradition of these paramilitary leaders has caused much controversy, with critics arguing that jailing the men in the U.S. on drug charges makes it more difficult to extract testimony from them on human rights abuses committed in Colombia.