Surprisingly Light Sentence for Colombia Paramilitary Chief

Surprisingly Light Sentence for Colombia Paramilitary Chief
Written by James Bargent Monday, 09 November 2015

One of Colombia's most notorious paramilitary warlords, "Jorge 40," could be free from prison in the United States in just five years following the conclusion of a strange judicial episode that raises yet more questions over the United States role in prosecuting Colombian paramilitaries.

On November 6, a Washington DC court handed down a 16-year sentence for drug trafficking to Rodrigo Tovar Pupo, alias "Jorge 40," the former commander of the Northern Bloc of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). As Jorge 40 has already served over nine years on remand, he could be freed in just five years time with further reductions for good behavior.

Prosecutors in the case had demanded a 30-year sentence for Jorge 40, labelling him one of the most important leaders of one of the most important drug trafficking operations in the world -- the AUC. The AUC was the government's proxy army for over a decade, killing and displacing hundreds of thousands of Colombians in its war against leftist insurgents.

However, the former paramilitary chief denied this, saying although he "taxed" and provided security to drug trafficking operations, he himself was no drug lord. In a nearly three-hour speech that included references to Thomas Jefferson, Voltaire and Thomas Hobbes, Jorge 40 instead portrayed himself as a political prisoner who only broke the law because it was necessary to protect his people from the menace of left wing guerrilla groups, reported El Tiempo.

More:
http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/surprisingly-light-sentence-for-colombia-paramilitary-chief