Colombia’s Supreme Court on Tuesday sentenced former Senator Alvaro Garcia Romero to 40 years in jail for paramilitary ties, embezzlement and his role in the Macayepo massacre.
The court ruled that there was sufficient evidence to show that Garcia had ties to paramilitary groups in the department of Sucre and that he was the “intellectual author” of the 2000 Macayepo massacre.
The court found credible the testimony of “Pitirri,” who maintained that Garcia worked with paramilitary leader Salomon Feris Chadid, alias “08,” to commit murder.
Investigations proved that Garcia was the link between farmers and the authorities. According to testimony, when the farmers didn’t get help from the authorities, they would contact paramilitary organization the AUC. Garcia played an important role because he acted as the “bridge” to the paramilitaries.
Garcia turned himself in to authorities in November 2006 to face charges of creating paramilitary groups and homicide.
He resigned as senator in July 2007.
On 14 October 2000, members “Heroes of the Mountains of Maria” paramilitary faction went into the town of Macayepo, in the Colombian department of Bolivar, and bludgeoned fifteen inhabitants to death with stones and clubs.
