Venezuela and Colombia will investigate paramilitary complaints

The attorney general of the republic, Tarek William Saab, reported on an exchange established with his Colombian counterpart, Luz Adriana Camargo, in which they proposed cooperation mechanisms to investigate the complaint made by a paramilitary group regarding contacts of the Venezuelan extreme right to plan violent and destabilizing actions in Venezuela in view of the presidential elections.

Through his account on the social network X, the prosecutor indicated on Thursday that he had a video conference with his homologous and two of its directors.

“We propose international criminal cooperation mechanisms for the exchange of information regarding the complaint made by a Colombian paramilitary group who reported having been contacted by sectors of the Venezuelan extreme right to unleash terrorist acts during the July electoral campaign until later days,” Saab explained. .

#CASE COMPLAINT BY COLOMBIAN PARAMILITARY

He @MinpublicoVEN informs that yesterday, Thursday, we held a telematic meeting (video conference) with the Attorney General of Colombia Luz Adriana Camargo and two of her Directors:

where we propose cooperation mechanisms… pic.twitter.com/RWk7af7g6v

– Tarek William Saab (@TarekWiliamSaab) July 11, 2024

Cooperation mechanisms between Venezuela and Colombia

In this regard, the Prosecutor specified that the main result of the meeting with Camargo was “the sending of a Mutual Legal Assistance, where the Public Ministry of Venezuela may in said document: request the practice of different procedures.”

Among these procedures are the location and identification of people, the transfer of detained people for the purpose of appearing as witnesses, delivery of documents, as well as “any other form of assistance as long as it is not incompatible with the laws of the Colombian State.”

Furthermore, the possibility of a Venezuelan prosecutor going to Colombia to gather information, he noted Telesur.

Another point raised by Saab regarding the meeting is to “explore the creation of a joint investigation team, which allows, through a specific instrument held between both Prosecutor’s Offices, to form a framework of cooperation and coordination stable over time to carry out investigations. in the territory of one or both countries.”

On July 5, the so-called Conquering Self-Defense Forces of the Sierra denounced that their units in the department of La Guajira were contacted by sectors of the extreme right with the aim of destabilizing the Venezuelan Government and provoking acts of violence.