The United States expressed concern about allegations linking senior Colombian government officials to dissident members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). According to what was reported by a spokesman for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Radio WThe United States Government stated that it is aware of the reports circulating about this case and considers it necessary for Colombia to take institutional action against these allegations.
The spokesman noted in his statement: “We are aware of reports indicating the existence of links between senior officials in the Petro government and dissidents from the FARC (a foreign terrorist organization).
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Washington recalled the existence of cooperation between the two countries in the field of surveillance, and on this basis it asked the Colombian authorities to proceed with a comprehensive review of the information revealed by the investigation unit in Colombia. Caracol News.
“Given our historic and close cooperation in surveillance, We urge the Petro administration, the Attorney General’s Office and other Colombian institutions to thoroughly investigate these accusations and take appropriate measures.“, the letter concludes.
The United States’ request is based on the expectation that these allegations will be investigated and appropriate institutional measures will be taken as appropriate. The statement comes after the disclosure of files attributed to the gang leader nicknamed “Kalarka”, a material that sparked national controversy due to the scope of its content.
The Foreign Ministry’s statement came after a report was previously published Caracol News, Documents obtained from computers, mobile phones and USB drives seized by the Public Prosecution in 2023 were displayed.. These materials were revealed by the investigation unit in that medium.
The files include photos, letters, letters and emails in which the relationship between the alias Calarca and two current state officials, General Juan Miguel Huertas, head of the Army Personnel Command and Wilmer Mejía, official of the Directorate of National Intelligence (DNI), is mentioned.
According to the press report, the documents will show direct communications between Calarca and officials. In one file, dated February 8, 2024, General Huertas (at that time Advisor to the Departments of the Department of Defense and Military Intelligence and Director of National Intelligence) He could have proposed creating a security company as a front, similar to structures paramilitary groups have used for years to formalize operations.
The file indicates that the general was going to commit to managing permits, weapons and armored vehicles, while asking the alias “Kalarca” to create a “half and half” company, in case the government did not agree to continue certain negotiations.
In addition, some letters attributed to the alias “Calarca” refer to alleged evidence related to the alleged financing of Gustavo Petro’s presidential campaign, as well as references to Vice President Francia Márquez.
President Gustavo Petro posted an extensive message on his social media account
The President emphasized that the information he received at that time was not supported and that the verification he conducted himself made it possible to exclude the hypothesis put forward by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
“I investigated what happened and determined that the CIA’s belief was inaccurate,” he said in his letter. This phrase served as the focal point of his public explanation and gave way to a broader description of the way he interprets agency reports.
Before the Foreign Ministry’s statement, the Mayor of Medellin, Federico Gutiérrez Zuloaga, announced that he would submit a formal request to the US Ambassador to Colombia, John McNamara, for his country to review complaints revealed by journalistic investigations about alleged links between members of the national government and the criminal structures known as “Calarca”, as well as dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, the National Liberation Army and the Gulf Group.
Gutierrez stated: “We ask the United States government (…) to move forward with investigations and extradite all those directly involved as those responsible for drug trafficking or terrorism, or those who aid and assist them.”
The mayor also reiterated the events that occurred during his 2022 presidential campaign, when, he said, he faced entry restrictions and threats in areas dominated by illegal armed organizations.
He noted that the structures mentioned in those places would have electorally favored President Pietro and Vice President Francia Márquez. He also referred to the killing of indigenous leader Misak Jesús Montano, who had previously been threatened, according to his statements.