The investigative actions established by the Office of the Attorney General to affect the criminal structures responsible for crimes and damages against human rights defenders and demobilized former combatants allowed the identification and the arrest of six people who allegedly played different roles in the so-called Pablo José Montalvo Cuitiva front of ‘Clan del Golfo’.
A prosecutor from the Special Investigation Unit (Unidad Especial de Investigación UEI in Spanish) charged the defendants with criminal conspiracy and drug trafficking.
Likewise, a detention measure in a prison center was requested and approved by a supervisory judge.
Defendants:
· Ever García Santos, town councillor of Riosucio (Chocó). According to the evidence, this person is known with the alias of Mario and would be responsible for extortions of businessmen and contractors and for alerting the criminal organization about the movements of the public force. For being an assistant of ‘Clan del Golfo’, he allegedly received $ 2,500,000 per month.
· Elkin Ortiz Hinestroza, alias ‘Araña’, a ringleader of the Pablo José Montalvo Cuitiva Front – ‘Clan del Golfo’
· Américo Paz Torres, alias ‘Merico”, who was allegedly in charge of controlling drug trafficking activities to finance the criminal activities of the organization.
· Antonio Paz Torres, the alleged owner of the cocaine production laboratories in the region of Darien, Chocó.
· Iván Paz Torres, accused of buying the material used to process cocaine hydrochloride.
· Emiro Paz Torres, alias ‘Miñon’. The evidence shows that he would be in charge of coordinating the shipment of drugs to Panama and Guatemala.
This result is part of the project named ‘Proyecto Riosucio Chocó’, created to make progress concerning the investigation and clarification of the murder of the indigenous leader Aquileito Mecheche which took place on March 30, 2019, in Riosucio (Chocó).
In this process, the Office of the Attorney General achieved the arrest and prosecution of 15 alleged members of ‘Clan del Golfo, two of them were ringleaders.
Likewise, the Special Investigation Unit linked the members of the Pablo José Montalvo substructure to 14 criminal actions committed against human rights defenders and Farc’s former combatants who were in process of reincorporation.
Figures
The Office of the Attorney General has clarified 55.15% of murders of human right defenders and 47% of the crimes committed against Farc’s former combatants who were in process of reincorporation.
The Office of the Attorney General makes this information public for reasons of general interest.