During its five years of existence, the Support´s Structure Group which was created to investigate the links between local and regional political leadership with the AUC, 38 mayors, 44 town councilors, 1 deputy, 58 former mayors, 135 former town councilors, 2 former deputies, 55 civil servants, 29 contractors, 69 demobilized persons and 47 private individuals have been bound and accused, mostly, of conspiracy under the mixed criminal justice system.

Up to September 2012, 19 mayors have been accused by Prosecutors assigned to the above mentioned group which is coordinated by the head of the National Unit against Terrorism. 7 local leaders had recourse to plea bargain, 8 other leaders have been sentenced and 2 acquitted. With regard to the town councilors, 19 officials have been accused and one accepted his responsibility before the examining prosecutor.

Also, 23 civil servants – at different levels – had recourse to plea bargain, 18 other individuals are serving sentence in prison and 2 persons have been acquitted.

Similarly, 27 former mayors have been covered with a bill of indictment, 9 other officials have accepted charges, 13 individuals are convicted and one was acquitted. As for the former councilors, 19 of them have been accused, 81 persons have admitted their responsibility with a view to have recourse to plea bargain, and convictions have been ruled against other 10 individuals.

Likewise, 7 former candidates for mayor have been accused by the Sub-unit and 2 other former candidates have accepted charges. In the same way, 3 former candidates for deputy are charged while one had recourse to plea bargain.

Besides, evidences have been gathered by judicial officials to accuse 14 contractors, 12 other persons have requested a plea bargain and 4 other individual are serving sentence in prison.

In addition, during this last five years of work, the Support´s Structure Group established people involved in the warp released on the local and regional political activity by self-defense groups. So as, 26 people have been accused, one individual had recourse to plea bargain, 6 other persons are serving sentence in prison and 3 individuals have been acquitted.

Finally, in terms of figures, 33 demobilized individuals have been accused by the Prosecutor’s Office, 2 other persons have accepted charges and 1 individual is serving sentence.

Local hegemony

So far, the total number of defendants, at local level, is approximately 140 people. A procedure to bring charges against 137 individuals to have recourse plea bargain has been carried out.

For example, a plan to politically dominate the Urabá sub region was carried out by Fredy Rendón Herrera, alias “El Alemán”, the other leader of the “Bloque Élmer Cárdenas”.

According to the plan of alias ‘El Alemán”, in the year 2000, representatives of the said paramilitary block arrived in villages (corregimientos) and rural settlements (veredas) of Uraba municipalities in order to set up and legitimate neighborhood action committees (juntas de acción communal).

Later, the work was aimed to get councils and mayors candidates. Municipalities such as: San Juan de Urabá, Arboletes, Chigorodó, San Pedro de Urabá, Necocli, Turbo, Carepa, Mutata and Apartadó, among others, were influenced by the illegal group.

In the matter of mayor’s office, most of the cases, Rendón Herrera had two candidates. One recognized by the population and another something unknown, but both economically and politically sponsored by the illegal armed structure.

The third phase of the project was to reach the House of Representatives, fact that was achieved with four people supported by alias ‘El Aleman”. This part of the investigation was sent to the Supreme Court, as this matter falls within its authority.

Rendon Herrera was also responsible for the so-called “Pacto de Marizco”, Parte Izquierda de Cordoba (Left Margin of Córdoba) through which he imposed his power in towns such as: Los Cordobas, Canaletes and Moñitos, among others.

He did the same, but in the East of the country, Héctor Germán Buitrago Parada, alias ‘Martin Llanos’ who in 2003, he committed six mayor candidates in Casanare to give him half of the budget of each municipality and 10 per cent of contracts which would reach to sign the administrations.

During the execution of several contracts, the Prosecutor’s Office found out anomalies such as: lack of background in the calls, breach of the terms set out to meet them, auditors’ negligence regarding the development of contracts and incomplete analysis of convenience and opportunity or without motivations with the utmost diligence.

In the 14-points document, the then-candidates – for the period 2004-2008 – promised to: appoint persons recommended by the AUC and attend meetings called by these illegal groups.

Also, the task carried out by the Support’s Structure Group includes investigations for those who were part of the so-called “Pacto de Chivolo” and “Pacto de Pivijay”, which facilitated to the AUC to have the control in populations of Cesar and Magdalena.