Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva has denied stating that Jesús Santrich was the victim of a trap, which led to the formation of dissidence. Instead, Leyva called for an international mechanism to investigate a possible entrapment of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), emphasizing that he never mentioned any names. However, a video of Leyva’s full intervention before the Security Council shows that he did bring up the Santrich case as part of his proposal to create a commission to investigate the matter. Leyva insists that an International Commission of Investigation or a group of independent experts is needed with the support of the Secretary General of the United Nations.
President Gustavo Petro defended Jesús Santrich, pointing out that the former Farc leader had been deceived in the peace process. Petro affirmed that his government will implement all peace agreements signed with the Farc and not applying these agreements might affect the policy of ‘total peace’. The possibility of receiving strong criticism from criminal organizations might arise if the agreements are not implemented. Petro added that the item to buy land to comply with the agreement with the Farc was not included in the draft in Congress due to political bias.
The US ordered the withdrawal of charges once morest Jesús Santrich for drug trafficking, as he was declared dead while the case was pending. Santrich was wanted by the Colombian authorities for terrorism, kidnapping for ransom, and drug trafficking, among other crimes. He had been captured in Colombia in 2018 and was released by order of the Supreme Court of Justice in 2019. Santrich later appeared in a video announcing that he was returning to the armed struggle with other former FARC commanders who had renounced the Peace Agreement. The late ex-guerrilla leader lived confidently in Venezuela and was Márquez’s right-hand man for trafficking cocaine.
In a trill, Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva wrote that he never said what he did say: that Jesús Santrich had been the victim of a trap and that this trap had led to the formation of dissidence. “An international mechanism to investigate a possible entrapment of the JEP is feasible. It is regarding promoting to a very high level an advanced investigation and made known by the JEP itself. I have never mentioned names. Never. It’s rare that some media do. It will be seen, ”she said.
However, in the video published by the Foreign Ministry with the full intervention of the foreign minister before the Security Council, it is clear that he did take the Santrich case to that body within the framework of his proposal to create a commission to investigate it. He did so by referring to the quarterly report of the Secretary General on the Verification Mission in Colombia, in relation to the implementation of the Final Agreement.
“Some of us have considered that what was sought was a trapping of the JEP, that is why I feel it my obligation to call the attention of the Security Council, because we do have enemies of the peace process“, he claimed.
In this sense, Leyva assured that an International Commission of Investigation or a group of independent experts is needed, with the support of the Secretary General of the United Nations. The official cited the same report in which he recalled that the Special Jurisdiction for Peace itself filed “a criminal complaint once morest former officials of the Prosecutor’s Office for fraud of judicial resolution and concealment of probative material, in 2018, during the process of guaranteeing the former leader of the FARC EP, Seuxis Pausías Hernández Solarte, also known as Jesús Santrich, who returned to arms,” he said.
“Some of us have considered that what was sought is a trapping of the special jurisdiction for peace. For this reason, I feel it is an obligation to draw the attention of the Security Council because we do have enemies of the peace process,” he emphasized, and added that “we can fill ourselves with reasons, precisely to further shield this magnificent task that the security council is carrying out.”
Minister Leyva spoke regarding various issues that are coming to the country. For example, the celebration of the return of diplomatic relations with Venezuela and a meeting with other countries in the region to resume the political dialogues that had begun in Mexico with the opposition and President Maduro.
“On the 25th of this month, a conference with Latin American countries, which includes the United States, Canada and European countries, will take place in the capital of the Republic, Bogotá, to see how it can lead to the resumption of political dialogues. that had been taking place in Mexico, naturally with the opposition parties and President Maduro,” he said.
He added that “one of the mandates of the Peace Agreement is to convene, starting from the fourth chapter on illicit crops, an international conference related to drug trafficking (…) For the second semester, this conference will take place in Bogotá.”
Finally, at the end of his speech, Foreign Minister Leyva Durán said: “What better way to demonstrate to the world in Colombia what can be possible from working together with the Security Council, because, I repeat: the dialogue and peace are victory”.
President Petro ignited the controversy: he defended Jesús Santrich and affirmed that he “was deceived” in the peace process
The President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro, came out in defense of the former head of the Farc Jesús Santrich, pointing out that the ex-combatant, who made the decision to abandon the peace process and rearm ‘to the teeth’, was deceived. These statements ignited the controversy.
In the event, which took place this Tuesday, April 11, on the National Council for Peace, Reconciliation and Coexistence, The Colombian president was emphatic in assuring that his government will implement all the peace agreements that former president Juan Manuel Santos signed with the Farc.
In the same way, he indicated that not applying the peace agreements that were signed in Havana (Cuba) might affect his desire to consolidate the policy of ‘total peace’, since he warned that the possibility of receiving strong criticism from criminal organizations would open up, by pointing out that his government does not comply.
“What we are saying in the background is that in silence it is that the peace agreements with the FARC will not be fulfilled; Now, if the agreements with the FARC are not going to be fulfilled, how do we then propose new agreements? How do we invite ‘total peace’?” Petro said.
And added: “The first thing they are going to say is that if they mightn’t handle theirs (peace agreement with the Farc) who come to talk to us, they come to deceive us, like Santrich.”
“So, these are the vicissitudes and we are going more specifically. Why is the item to buy land to comply with the agreement with the Farc not included in the draft in Congress? Because the budget is made by technical officials, very much on the right, moreover, who have been here for quite some time,” Petro noted.
Jesús Santrich is dead: the United States ordered the withdrawal of charges once morest the ex-commander of the Farc for drug trafficking
“Because (…) he died while this was pending, and, therefore, before a final sentence was issued, the Government respectfully requests that the nolle prosequi (procedural nullity) of the file” with respect to the Supervision of Accusation.
In October 2022, the judge for the southern district of New York, Valerie Caproni, had asked the Colombian government to send all the documentation in order to prove judicially that Santrich was dead. The process is relevant, since many speculations have been woven around the death of Jesús Santrich, fugitive leader of the Farc dissidents, in a confrontation with an armed group in Venezuelan territory.
Santrich was wanted by the Colombian authorities for terrorism and kidnapping for ransom, among others, and was required in extradition for drug trafficking in a court in the United States, accused of participating in the shipment of cocaine shipments to that country.
For the same facts he had been captured in Colombia in 2018, but almost a year later he was released by order of the Supreme Court of Justice for the jurisdiction he had at that time for being a representative to the Chamber for the party founded by the Farc following the signing of the Peace Agreement, in the midst of an immense judicial controversy and the discontent of the US authorities.
A few months later, in June 2019, Santrich fired his security scheme while they were in Tierra Grata, in Cesar, and fled. In August 2019, he appeared in a video together with several former FARC commanders who had renounced the Peace Agreement (Iván Márquez, El Paisa, Romaña) to announce that they would return to the armed struggle with a rifle in hand and fully camouflaged clothing. .
Intelligence had established that Santrich was in charge of the Insurgent Communication Network, the Bolivarian Radio Chain Voice of the Resistance, and the National Communications Commission. His pronouncements showed that he was becoming more and more radical.
The last images of Santrich alive were disclosed by himself, through a Telegram chat. He appeared in several videos dressed in camouflage, always armed with a rifle, smiling and sarcastic at his misdeeds.
WEEK It was the first medium to publish photos of how he lived and operated in Venezuela, in camps with rudimentary blue tents, surrounded by vegetation. He even had a plane at his service to move drug shipments. Santrich was seen aboard a black, plato truck, with a Venezuelan license plate, accompanied by his security circle.
The late ex-guerrilla leader lived confidently in Venezuela and, on certain occasions, met with Márquez; For his part, Romaña has been the rearguard of the Marquetalia chief from the beginning, and Paisa has been in charge of entering and leaving Colombian territory from Venezuela, leading large drug trafficking operations, apart from the purchase of explosives and weapons.
He had become Márquez’s right hand for traffic cocaine in alliance with the Venezuelan military. From his hiding place in Venezuela, he dedicated himself to threatening President Iván Duque and journalists with death.
In conclusion, the controversy surrounding Jesús Santrich and the peace process in Colombia continues to unfold. While there are calls for an international commission to investigate a possible entrapment of the JEP, there are also defenders of Santrich who argue that he was deceived in the peace process. The recent order from the United States to withdraw charges once morest Santrich for drug trafficking due to his apparent death only adds to the complexity of the situation. As the country moves forward, it remains to be seen how the government will handle the implementation of the peace agreements and address the concerns raised by various parties involved.
