Colombia’s ex-president Alvaro Uribe retaliated against charges of paramilitary ties by filing criminal charges against his accuser, congressman Ivan Cepeda.
In retaliation to accusations that the former head of state and his brother formed a paramilitary group and allowed it to use Uribe family property as a base, Uribe asked his lawyers Tuesday to bring criminal proceedings against Cepeda, reported W Radio.
September 7, Cepeda wrote a widely publicized column in Colombian newspaper El Tiempo that former President Uribe and his brother Santiago Uribe formed the paramilitary group Bloc Metro and allowed the group to use their farmhouse “Guarcharacas” as their base of operations.
An ex-paramilitary testified to Cepeda that Uribe formed the group because he wanted to recover stolen cattle and take revenge on another bloc of the guerrilla group ELN.
It is also alleged that with the help of businessman Luis Alberto Villegas, Uribe ordered Bloc Metro to carry out massacres and assassinations.
