A former FARC guerrilla has appealed his extradition to the U.S., claiming the ruling to be a violation of his right to equal treatment, reports Colombian television station Noticias Uno.
Alexander Herrera Beltran, alias “Rodrigo Pirinolo,” who is to be extradited to the U.S. for his role in the kidnapping of three American citizens, claims that the approval of his extradition is a violation of his right to equal treatment since the extradition of two of his colleagues, Alexander Farfan, alias “Gafas” and Helí Mejía Mendoza, alias “Martin Sombra,” was denied.
“By denying the extradition of Gafas and Martin Sombra, the Supreme Court is violating my right to equality and due process,” said Herrera Beltran.
A former member of the now demobilized 27th Front of the FARC, Beltran is being held responsible for the kidnapping of American contractors Thomas Hewes, Heith Stansell and Marc Gonsalves, who were detained after their plane was shot down by the FARC in the southern department of Caqueta in 2003.
Beltran claims that while Gafas and Sombra guarded the hostages for a number of years, he only served as their guide on a three day trip to a hospital in the settlement of Loma Linda.
Colombian security forces rescued the Americans along with a number of other hostages, including former Colombian presidential candidate Ingrid Betancourt, in 2008 as part of Operation Checkmate.
