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Caribbean-Latin America
Colombia's right-wing paramilitaries disarming
2005-11-22
The left-wing FARC, however, is not.
BOGOTA, Colombia -- Colombia has assured right-wing paramilitary leaders they won't be extradited to the United States if their troops continue to disarm. The group is the Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia, or AUC, formed in April 1997 as an umbrella paramilitary organization to combat the country's leftist guerrillas. AUC currently has an estimated 20,000 members.

AUC is on both the United States' and the European Union's lists of terrorist organizations and Washington wants to extradite several leading AUC members on drug charges.

Since the beginning of the year the government of President Alvaro Uribe has been involved in disarmament discussions with the AUC. Approximately 10,000 AUC members have handed in their weapons and joined government "re-insertion" programs. Seeking to allay AUC leaders' extradition fears, Interior and Justice Minister Sabas Pretelt said, "Those who fulfill their commitments (to demobilize) have nothing to worry about."

According to EFE news agency, AUC leader Ivan Roberto Duque said that his organization's willingness to abide by the government's Dec. 31 deadline for completing demobilization is contingent upon the government eliminating the risk of extradition.
Much as I'd like to see their leaders sharing a jail cel next to 'Pineapple Face' Noreiga, this is the right way to handle this.
Posted by:Steve White

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