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Conviction confirms long-simmering rumours that officials in the intelligence agency helped paramilitary groups kill political opponents
Few Colombians expected the country’s former intelligence chief, Jorge Noguera, to fall the way he did.
Colombia’s Supreme Court sentenced Noguera to 25 years in prison this week for colluding with illegal paramilitary death squads who murdered union leaders and left-wing activists, including a university professor.
It’s one of the longest prison sentences ever handed down to a high-ranking government official in Colombia, in a landmark ruling that took many by surprise.
Colombia’s paramilitary groups were formed in the 1980s to fight leftist rebels. They have been blamed for some of the worst human rights abuses in Colombia’s decades-long conflict.
The court ruling has confirmed long-simmering rumours that officials in Colombia’s intelligence agency, known as DAS, helped paramilitary groups kill political opponents they considered left-wing sympathisers and as such legitimate targets as part of the government’s war against the rebels.
Prosecutors said Noguera had provided the right-wing paramilitaries with hit lists of activists and union leaders.
“The sentence of the high court punishes one of the darkest chapters in the country’s recent political history,” an editorial in Colombia’s El Tiempo newspaper said.
“This process has ratified the existence of a macabre connection between the paramilitaries in the Caribbean coast and heads of the state intelligence agency.
“This illicit relationship not only served to erase criminal records, sabotage operations and reveal information but also unfolded a bloody plan to eliminate union and community leaders in this part of the country,” the editorial added.
Wednesday's ruling is seen as a victory for Colombia’s justice system.
“This is a key step towards justice,” said Susan Lee, Americas director at Amnesty International, following the verdict.
The court decision has also been welcomed by Colombian lawmakers.
“I congratulate the justice system for having divulged what Jorge Noguera did, that he betrayed the country, the government …,” said Senator Roy Barreras.
The former spy chief has always denied any wrongdoing, and has said he was a victim of a conspiracy. Noguera was hand-picked by former President Alvaro Uribe, to whom he directly reported. He headed the agency from 2002 to 2005.
"I appointed Jorge Noguera for his experience and for his family. I trusted him, it hurts me if he committed crimes and I apologise to citizens,” Uribe said on his Twitter account following the ruling.
The question everyone is asking now is who’s next to fall.
Other high-ranking government officials, who served during the Uribe administration, are also under investigation over corruption charges.
In the spotlight is another ex-head of the intelligence agency, Maria del Pilar Hurtado, who is facing trial over allegedly ordering illegal wiretaps of government opponents, including judges, journalists and politicians. She is currently in neighouring Panama, where she has been controversially granted political asylum.
As Colombians wait to see who else will go behind bars, the Noguera ruling has prompted renewed calls for the government to dismantle the intelligence agency.
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