Colombia to pay for damages caused by Uribe's harassment of critic

by Adriaan Alsema August 20, 2019

A court ordered the government of Colombia’s President Ivan Duque to publicly apologize for the harassment of an opposition leader by the government of his political patron, former President Alvaro Uribe.

At the same time, the tax payers will have to pay reparations to former Liberal Party Senator Piedad Cordoba, whose criticism on the Uribe administration led to a coordinated assault that effectively destroyed her career.

Uribe’s political persecution machine
According to the Bogota court, evidence is clear that Uribe, his aides and now-defunct intelligence agency DAS illegally spied on Cordoba, fabricated criminal charges against the senator and falsely accused her of being a guerrilla.

Uribe’s former chief of staff, Bernardo Moreno, and the former intelligence director of the DAS, Fernando Tabares, are already in prison for the illegal spying.

The former president will have to appear before the Supreme Court in October over an alleged conspiracy to harass another critic, Senator Ivan Cepeda, and could also go to prison.

More:
https://colombiareports.com/colombia-to-pay-for-damages-caused-by-uribes-harassment-of-critic/

~ ~ ~

People who have followed her in Colombian news knew she was despised by the oligarchs long ago, and it's a miracle she even has survived. Thank god she did. From her Wikipedia:

Career in the Senate
Through Congress, Córdoba became nationally known for taking controversial positions, such as the reactivation of the extradition law in 1997 and other positions that were seen as radical and belligerent. In 1998 Córdoba was nonetheless reelected as senator. She promoted debates focused on minorities and communitarian mothers groups, as well as the resolution of the Colombian armed conflict through peaceful negotiations.

During the investigation that then president of Colombia Ernesto Samper underwent for allegedly accepting money in his presidential campaign from the Cali drug trafficking cartel, Córdoba became an outspoken defender of the president during the scandal that was later dubbed Proceso 8000.

Kidnapping
In 1999 Carlos Castaño, leader of the paramilitary group United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), kidnapped Senator Córdoba. After several weeks she was freed and exiled with her family in Canada. After one year and 2 months in exile and reports by Colombian authorities that security had improved, Córdoba returned to Colombia, leaving her family behind to resume her political duties. She has been the victim of two assassination attempts.

Death threats and political ban through coercion
In the elections of 2002, the regions where Córdoba had traditionally received strong voting results like Medellín, Chocó were seen as being under control by an AUC paramilitary group. Córdoba was elected once again for Congress this time obtaining strong voting results in the capital, Bogotá.

More:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piedad_Córdoba

~ ~ ~

Colombian negotiator Piedad Cordoba flees death threats
19 August 2011



Piedad Cordoba said she would return
to Colombia as soon as she could


Colombian peace campaigner and former Senator Piedad Cordoba has left the country after receiving death threats.

She has negotiated the release of a number of hostages held by the Farc guerrilla group, but the government accused her of helping the rebels.

She was banned from public office for 18 years.

Ms Cordoba's lawyer said the death threats had intensified following her latest attempts to get the rebels to the negotiating table.

Lawyer Luis Guillermo Perez said the intimidation had been "constant, and she was told an attack was being planned to kill her".

. . .

Ms Cordoba is one of the people, alongside judges, opposition politicians and journalists, whose phone was illegally hacked by the Colombian secret police, DAS, under Mr Uribe.

Giving evidence before a congressional commission on Thursday over the illegal wiretaps, Mr Uribe admitted asking the DAS to investigate Ms Cordoba.

He said he had done so after one of her bodyguards had been killed and she accused the state of ordering the killing.

Ms Cordoba's lawyer said the publicity surrounding Ms Cordoba and the wire-tap investigation had probably contributed to the increase in the number of threats against her.

More:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-14598633