Colombian President Alvaro Uribe Monday expressed his support for his vice-President, Francisco Santos, who again is investigated for his alleged paramilitary ties.
In a short press release, published in the President’s website, Uribe praises Santos’ leadership and calls the work he has done “exemplary.”
“The country knows the leadership of the vice-President in the defense and promotion of human rights and his unparalleled effort to end the plague of kidnapping of which he was victim,” Uribe said.
Santos is investigated after paramilitary leaders testified the now vice-Minister had been in meetings with them to talk about the forming of a paramilitary force in Colombia’s capital Bogota. The vice-Minister denies he took part in plans to form a militia and claims he was at these meetings as a journalist.
An earlier investigation into these allegations was ended before the prosecutor in charge had collected the evidence he should have.
“The tests that were ordered — which were plenty — were not completely carried out, or better, what was carried out was very little compared to what was ordered,” Prosecutor General Guillermo Mendoza told Caracol Radio.