Senator Piedad Cordoba has cut short her tour of Europe in order to return to Colombia to deal with charges brought against her for alleged links to the FARC.
The Senator had planned to visit the University of Castilla-La Mancha in Toledo, Spain, on Monday to give a talk about democracy and human rights in Colombia.
“I have never had, nor do I have, links with groups outside the law. I’ve never been a sponsor or partner of the FARC,” Cordoba said.
Senator Cordoba, who recently negotiated the release of hostages held by the FARC, is accused of having associations with the guerrilla group beyond humanitarian efforts.
“All my actions as a facilitator of the release of hostages held by the FARC and the humanitarian agreement have been carried out with compliance to legal norms and with the express authorization of the national government.”
Cordoba also expressed her “worry” over the possible election of Juan Manuel Santos as president in May, saying that it would adversely “affect the normailization of relations with Venezuela.”
Charges against her are based on evidence allegedly found in files belonging to dead FARC leader “Raul Reyes,” which the Inspector General’s Office claims indicate that the Cordoba collaborated with the FARC outside of the parameters of her role as a hostage release negotiator.
Cordoba will now return to Colombia, cutting short her tour of Europe to rally international support for a humanitarian exchange.
She had visited Spain, Switzerland and France before traveling to Brussels, Belgium on Thursday to continue campaigning.
