Former head of the paramilitary United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) Salvatore Mancuso received on Wednesday an order of conditional release to leave the Bogotá prison of La Picota.
The National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC) reported that Mancuso received “the release order” from a judge of Justice and Peace, the jurisdiction that was created following the dismantling of the AUC.
The conditional release of Mancuso, who is under investigation in Colombia for more than 75,000 crimes as leader of the AUC, the group attributed with the most homicides during the armed conflict, is being disputed by several judicial bodies, which are debating which body should judge the former paramilitary.
Green light
After receiving the green light from Justice and Peace, the Inpec sent 31 letters to judicial offices. It included prosecutors, ordinary justice, the National Money Laundering Unit, transitional justice, Human Rights and the Special Justice for Peace (JEP) “for the review of the records that appear in the file of the person deprived of liberty, with the objective of determining or ruling out security measures.”
And following that, “it issued the concept of viability that grants freedom to Salvatore Mancuso with the traceability of each of these authorities,” reported the Inpec. The statement explains that it is waiting for the National Protection Unit (UNP), which depends on the Ministry of the Interior, to carry out the necessary steps to guarantee Mancuso’s safety.
Last week, the JEP denied Mancuso temporary release. The jurisdiction of that court to make the decision is being studied by the Constitutional Court.
“The court determined that, given that Mancuso’s appearance before the JEP is being studied by the Constitutional Court due to a ‘positive collision of jurisdictional competence,’ the competence of the JEP, due to the personal factor, is questioned,” added the court created by the peace agreement signed by the Government and the FARC in 2016.
Meanwhile, the High Court of Bogotá had already granted freedom to the former paramilitary leader, lifting the 57 arrest warrants. But it said that he will have to go to different courts when required.
Salvatore Mancuso is one of the bloodiest leaders of the demobilized United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC).
Arrival in Colombia
The former AUC commander arrived in Colombia on February 27 to be held accountable before the Justice and Peace Courts. He was deported from the United States, where he served a 15-year sentence for drug trafficking.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro appointed Mancuso as a “peace broker” last July, in order to, he said, finish the peace process that he believes has not been concluded with the paramilitaries.
In order to fulfill this role, there must not be any measure of deprivation of liberty imposed by any court.
According to Inpec, the former paramilitary leader is expected to complete all the formalities to be released today.
Bogota/ EFE
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2024-07-11 01:09:40
