Colombia’s new Prosecutor General Viviane Morales rejects ex-President Alvaro Uribe’s criticism of the justice system in remarks made to Caracol Radio.
Uribe admitted earlier Thursday that he had advised former aides who are under investigation to seek asylum abroad, claiming that Colombia’s justice system has “a problem” guaranteeing a fair trial to members of his administration.
“It’s a very serious statement,” Morales responded. “At the minimum a state has justice, here it has surrounded the persons under investigation with all the guarantees.”
Uribe has a long history of clashes with the judiciary, often criticizing decisions made by the Supreme Court.
The former leader came under fire following Panama’s grant of asylum to Maria del Pilar Hurtado, a former director of Colombia’s intelligence service DAS, who is under investigation for the illegal wiretapping of opponents of the Uribe government. Hurtado reported directly to Uribe, who denies ever having ordered the wiretaps, and her testimony was expected to incriminate the ex-president.
Morales told Caracol Radio that she would call outgoing interim Prosecutor General Guillermo Mendoza “this very day” in order to find out about the current situation of legal processes regarding the illegal surveillance by DAS.
Morales is an attorney who studied administrative law in Paris, France, and has previously worked in Colombia’s Development Ministry. She has held seats in the House of Representatives and the Senate, representing the Liberal Party.
The post had been filled by interim Prosecutor General Guillermo Mendoza since August 2009, as the Supreme Court, which is responsible for electing a new prosecutor general, was unable to reach the necessary consensus on any one candidate.
