Extraditable La Picota individuals claimed they would rather face trial in the United States than by the Colombian government

Since the national government announced the establishment of the mechanisms to comply with the “total peace” proposal, both in the office of the president Gustavo Petro as High Commissioner for Peace, Danilo Ruedadozens of letters have arrived written by extraditables convicted of paramilitarism in prisons such as La Picota, in Bogotá, asking to be accepted by current state policy.

In their letters, many of them suggested being peace facilitators and managers to help pacify the regions in which they were present while belonging to illegal and parastatal armed groups in exchange for not being extradited to the United States. However, these same convicts claimed that the current administration had not complied and, therefore, they no longer wanted to submit to Colombian justice.

in dialogue with Snail Newsthe lawyers of some “ex-paras” have said that their clients feel betrayed, because according to them, Petro promised during his presidential campaign that those prosecuted for drug trafficking and similar offenses, but subject to Colombian laws, could have advantages.

In this regard, Angélica Martínez Cuéllar, lawyer for several extraditables and legal adviser to the tables of peace, assured that This topic was “empty” in the draft submission bill presented by the Minister of Justice, Nestor OsunaWednesday, February 15.

Even the representatives of the convicts have affirmed to the aforementioned media that this initiative is nothing more than a copy of the Justice and Peace Law, sanctioned in 2005 under the government of Álvaro Uribe Vélez and that demobilized groups such as the Forces Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, although with fewer guarantees for those subjected.

Juan Andrés Arias, President of the National Corporation of Ex-combatants and also defender of paramilitaries in the process of extradition, cited as an example before this newspaper the case of Nini Johana Úsuga David, sister of Dairo Antonio, alias Otoniel.

“She lasted how many years deprived of liberty here – in Colombia – she was extradited this year and already in the United States she has regained her freedom and is free on trial” and concluded that there is greater guarantees in the North American country than with submission to Colombian justice.

In this regard, the bill for the “dismantling of criminal structures” mentioned that members of high-impact criminal groups such as the Gaitanista Self-Defense Forces of Colombia oh The Pachenca, can benefit from advantages related to the execution of sentences provided that they fulfill certain conditions. However, the articles do not focus on those who have already been convicted, let alone those who are said to be extraditable.

In this scenario, three meetings have taken place in the extraditable pavilion of La Picota to define what will happen to their submission to national justice or if they will lean towards extradition.

“What are we playing at as a government? Are we going to repeat what we have criticized so much before, what we have opposed?” asked lawyer Angélica Martínez in a dialogue also with Noticias Caracol.

Despite the fact that the Minister of Justice —and the same articulate— are clear in declaring that the processes of the subject people will continue in ordinary justice and that these people must provide precise information that allows the dismantling of these high-impact structures , THE European Union and United States They recommended to the national government five key points for this bill.

Two of them specifically focus on pursuing criminal actors and providing drug trafficking routes to access the incentives offered in the project. Another area of ​​concern is extradition and, on this subject, Senator Ariel Avila indicated on Wednesday February 22 on Twitter that the regulations in force on this issue would not be affected.