Judge gunned down in Colombia

Source: Irish Sun

Judge gunned down in Colombia
Irish Sun
Friday 23rd April, 2010
(IANS)

A criminal court judge was killed Thursday in the northwestern Colombian city of Medellin while waiting for a taxi, police said.

The suspected shooter of Judge Diego Fernando Escobar Munera fled the scene on a city bus, but was captured minutes later by police, Col. Adan Leon said.

Escobar, 45, spent 19 years in the judiciary and authorities are investigating the possibility that his murder was connected with one of the numerous cases he handled.

Another criminal court judge was gunned down last month outside his Bogota home by gunmen travelling on a motorcycle.

President Alvaro Uribe issued a statement denouncing the murder of Escobar and vowing not to permit a resurgence of the kind of of violence against judges that was common in Colombia in the 1980s and '90s.

Read more: http://story.irishsun.com/index.php/ct/9/cid/88176adfdf246af5/id/626379/cs/1/

That's one assassin who's missing the concept of "get away".

:rofl:

Colombian judges face threats and murder
Friday, 23 April 2010 14:38
Cameron Sumpter

Colombia's Supreme Judicial Council warns of threats to the country's judiciary, with three judges assassinated in the last two years, and 600 receiving threats over the last four years, reports Semana.

Judge Diego Fernando Escobar was gunned down Thursday outside his home in Medellin.

"In the last two years have been killed three judges and a court official and an attempt was made against a Cali judge ... But the worst for us is that there have been constant threats for the past four years, rising to 600" said Judge Hernando Torres of the Supreme Judicial Council.

President Uribe condemned the assassination and offered a reward of COP100 million for information about those who masterminded the crime.

“This is an wake-up call to the national government to protect the justice system to guarantee the civil liberties of the population,” said Judge Hernando Torres, chairman of the Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Judicial Council.

There had been "threats to their family and property, personal threats, threats to bring processes of various kinds, and threats to resources that they give to illegal groups,” according to Torres.

Among those threatened were judges of the Supreme Court, who have been responsible for uncovering links between politicians and paramilitaries, according to Torres.

The Supreme Court judges have also been the victims of illegal wiretapping by Colombia's security agency (DAS).

President of the Supreme Judicial Council, Francisco Escobar, said that budget problems made it difficult for judges to protect themselves.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/9329-colombian-judges-face-threats-and-murder.html

~~~~~
Colombia is the 2nd largest recipient of U.S. foreign aid currently, right behind Israel, receiving BILLIONS of U.S. taxpayers' dollars, and suffering the 2nd largest humanitarian crisis in the world, following only the Sudan the number of displaced, homeless people.

A more common form used by Colombian assassins has often been couples of killers on motorcycles coming up beside people in their cars at stoplights and blowing them away, before disappearing into the traffic.

Colombian authorities reveal plot to assassinate Supreme Court judges
Thursday, 04 March 2010 10:03 Brett Borkan

Colombian authorities revealed Thursday that they are investigating assassination plots against three Supreme Court judges, including the former head of the court, Augusto Ibañez.

Police captured two alleged assassins close to the homes of one of the three judges in the north of Bogota, El Tiempo reported. One of the assassins was reported to be carrying a pistol equipped with a silencer.

In addition, a suspicious vehicle containing firearms was recently found near the home of another of the targeted judges.

Authorities said that they have also intercepted various communications involving the group of assassins.

Assassination targets Ibañez, and Judges Javier Zapata and Jorge Luis Quintero Milanes, who were set to vote on a new prosecutor general, suspended their session, while police develop a special security plan to ensure for their protection.

Demobilized paramilitary leader "Ban Ban", who is cooperating with authorities before the Justice and Peace tribunal, allegedly revealed the assassination plots to the authorities three weeks ago.

http://colombiareports.com/colombia-news/news/8532-assassination-plot-against-supreme-court-judges-revealed.html

(This story is a true stinker, flying as it does, in the face of years of testimony from tons of witnesses in court trials connecting the paras with the Colombian military, and politicians. Looks like an attempt by someone to shove all the blame off on a convenient religious personality, to clean up the images of politicians just before the Colombian national elections.)

Colombia says priest led paramilitaries that committed atrocities
By Mike Ceaser
Catholic News Service

BOGOTA, Colombia – Colombian governmental authorities said a Catholic priest from a town outside Medellin led paramilitary groups that committed rapes and massacres and persecuted evangelical ministers and believers.

The priest, Father Oscar Ortiz Henao, was arrested in mid-April. Medellin chief prosecutor Martha Penagos said authorities had “a great deal of evidence” against the priest, including testimony and telephone recordings, from an investigation that lasted for more than a year.

Prosecutors said Father Ortiz created a paramilitary group in the town of San Antonio de Prado.

The paramilitaries, right-wing forces that have fought alongside the country’s own military, are notorious for committing human rights violations, including chainsaw massacres, recruitment of child soldiers and forcing peasants from their homes. The paramilitary groups are also known for carrying out so-called “social cleansing” operations, in which they kill prostitutes, thieves, drug addicts and other social “undesirables.”

More:
http://www.catholicreview.org/subpages/storyworldnew-new.aspx?action=8027

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(This is a google translation of a Colombian article)

Salvatore Mancuso involves more than military officials of the DAS and the Attorney
April 21, 2010 24:06

paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso continued involving senior officers of the Armed Forces with the illegal organization and further argued that the paramilitaries had their chips in the DAS and the Prosecution.

Among the military commanders involved with paramilitary groups include General Ivan Ramirez, Marco Antonio Pedreros and Alberto Gómez Méndez, who said as collaborators with the paramilitaries.

General Ramirez was commander of the First Division in Santa Marta and according Mancuso collaborated with paramilitaries in operations against the guerrillas of the ELN and the EPL between 1996 and 1997.

Among the contributors to the DAS, Mancuso directly quoted Jose Miguel Narvaez, who was deputy director of the intelligence agency.

In statements made Mancuso from a U.S. prison in development of the process being conducted by the Supreme Court against the former director of Das, Jorge Noguera, said that at least 40 to 50 people, including some prosecutors, cooperated with your organization to combat the guerrillas.

Mancuso also claimed he was extradited to the United States to silence and denounced threats against his life and his family.

http://www.radiosantafe.com/2010/04/21/salvatore-mancuso-implica-a-mas-militares-y-a-funcionarios-del-das-y-la-fiscalia/#more-110523