Segundo Ramón Avella Barrera, alleged ringleader of the ELN front José David Suárez, who is accused of extorting contractors, consortiums and multinationals and planning attacks against the public force in Aguazul, Tauramena, and Recetor (Casanare) and some municipalities in the east of Boyacá has been brought before the court.
The defendant, alias Mateo, was charged by a special prosecutor of the Sectional Office in Casanare with aggravated rebellion and aggravated criminal conspiracy and extortion.
Avella Barrera did not plead guilty to the charges and by order of a supervisory judge in Aguazul (Casanare) he must serve a prison sentence.
The evidence obtained in the investigation shows that alias Mateo, apparently coordinated criminal actions and promoted armed indoctrination by distributing pamphlets, using flags, and marking vehicles and walls with intimidating messages. Additionally, there are indications that he threatened merchants, contractors, transporters and other productive sectors of the region to force them to interrupt their economic activities, as happened before between February 14 and 17 of this year.