Costa Rica News – Colombia Senator Piedad Zuccardi, wanted in her country for alleged links to paramilitary groups, was in Costa Rica four days, last week.
Zuccardi arrived in San Jose on Friday, said the Immigration and, contrary to what was reported in some media the Colombia Senator made no request for refuge in the Central American country.
Sources in the Costa Rican foreign ministry said that neither managed Zuccardi political asylum in this country, and apparently left for Panama.
On Wednesday, the Colombian Supreme Court ordered the arrest of the Senator to answer for his alleged links with ex-paramilitaries, including Manuel Antonio Castellanos, alias “El Chino”.
Zuccardi served as Policy Chief Alfonso Lopez Cossio, candidate for governor of Bolivar in 2003 and convicted of promoting policy actions of the paramilitaries.
The senator is also the wife of former Senator Juan José García Romero, ousted by a corruption case.
García Romero, in turn, is the brother of former Senator Álvaro García Romero, sentenced to 40 years in prison for the slaughter of Macayepo, locality of the northern department of Bolivar, on 16 October 2000.
The slaughter of Macayepo, which left at least 15 dead peasants stick and machete and some 200 families displaced, was committed by a paramilitary group of 80 so-called “Northern Block” of the demobilized United Self-Defense of Colombia (AUC), commanding Pelufo Rodrigo Mercado, alias “String”.
Colombia authorities still trying to determine the whereabouts of the official.
The Costa Rica News (TCRN)
San Jose Costa Rica
