Colombian President Gustavo Petro reiterated this Monday the request to the Attorney General’s Office to manage the extradition of Gerly Sánchez Villamizar, known as “Monkey Gerley”, who remains imprisoned in the Soto del Real prison in Spain, awaiting the procedures for his transfer to Colombia. Petro sent a message on social networks calling on Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo to officially demand, on behalf of the country, the handover of the well-known leader of the National Liberation Army (ELN). As the newspaper El Tiempo reports, the Colombian public prosecutor’s office claims that the proceedings have been ongoing since the end of November in accordance with the established legal and diplomatic mechanisms.
According to El Tiempo, Gustavo Petro publicly expressed his concern about what he considered to be a lack of action by the State Ministry regarding the extradition request of the pseudonym “Monkey Gerley”. In a statement on the social network, Petro emphasized in his publication: “He is the boss.” Furthermore, he hypothesized a possible alliance between the prosecution and the prisoner – although he explicitly denied this possibility – stating: “I am not an ally of those who systematically murder farmers out of greed.”
The president reiterated the extradition request, addressing directly the Attorney General Luz Adriana Camargo and asking her to act “on behalf of Colombia” to bring Sánchez Villamizar to national territory. He also recalled that the defendant remains detained in Soto del Real and it is up to the Colombian authorities to advance the procedures for his legal transfer, a process in which Interpol also intervenes.
The media outlet El Tiempo explained that despite the head of state’s public claim, the Attorney General’s Office has not yet made any official statements. However, internal sources in the State Ministry confirmed to the above-mentioned newspaper that the extradition process for “Monkey Gerley” began on November 28th of the previous year. According to sources, the process is progressing through regular legal and diplomatic channels, highlighting that there have been no omissions or administrative delays since the start of the process.
The alias “Monkey Gerley”, whom Colombian authorities have identified as one of the main people responsible for the ELN’s financial structure, is accused of leading money laundering operations linked to illegal guerrilla activities. The extradition effort is part of an institutional offensive against the resource flows of illegal armed groups. According to sources cited by El Tiempo, the documentation and requirements related to the extradition were processed before the relevant diplomatic and judicial bodies, following international guidelines in coordination with Interpol and the Spanish authorities.
In his statement, Petro stressed the urgency for the public prosecutor’s office to ask the Spanish government to extradite the detainee so that he could face the relevant criminal proceedings in Colombia. The president placed the extradition request in the context of fighting organized crime and dismantling the ELN guerrilla financing networks.
The newspaper El Tiempo also reported that Petro’s claim reignites discussion about procedures of international cooperation in judicial matters between Colombia and Spain, as well as the role of the public ministry in coordinating transnational operations against high-profile criminal structures. In the specific case of Sánchez Villamizar, the Colombian authorities want to ensure that he appears before the national judiciary to answer for his alleged activities within the ELN.
The presence of Gerly Sánchez Villamizar in a Spanish prison shows the international dimension of the crimes accused and the need for cooperation between the judicial systems of both countries. According to information provided to El Tiempo by spokespersons for the Public Prosecutor’s Office, the extradition procedures are a technical and regulated process motivated by the seriousness of the allegations attributed to the “Barley Monkey”.
Since Sánchez Villamizar’s arrest, Colombian institutions have focused on the importance of his extradition as a measure to promote judicial processes and have a significant impact on the ELN’s illicit finances. According to El Tiempo, the case has also sparked a debate about communication between the executive branch and the prosecution, as well as the deadlines and administrative steps in international extraditions.
While the State Department maintains that the lawsuit was carried out without delays, the President’s constant request is aimed at maintaining the visibility of the process and putting pressure on a rapid response from the judicial authorities. According to El Tiempo, the situation also reflects the Petro government’s interest in showing concrete results in the fight against the financial and operational structures of illegal armed groups in Colombia.
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