The Supreme Court Thursday sentenced the former governor of Sucre, Salvador Arana, to 40 years in jail for his ties to paramilitary groups.
Arana, who is also a former Colombian Ambassador to Chile, was found guilty of aligning with the paramilitary organization AUC in order to consolidate his political position in the region, El Espectador reported.
Arana was also found guilty for his part in the murder of the mayor of Roble.
Arana is the first politician to be sentenced for crimes against humanity in a case of ‘parapolitics‘.
Before his arrest in May 2008 he was on Colombia’s most wanted list.