Mayor (r) Juan Meneses reiterated that Santiago Uribe was a sponsor of paramilitaries

The Legal Definitions Chamber of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) decided this Monday, June 17, to grant an exit permit to retired major Juan Carlos Meneses Quintero, sentenced to 27 years in prison for homicide. To grant this benefit, the Jurisdiction took into account the positive contributions of the former police officer, in which he has mentioned Santiago Uribe Vélez, brother of former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, as a sponsor of the paramilitary structure known as ‘The 12 Apostles’.

In the order of the Jurisdiction, which endorses the permission to leave Meneses Quintero towards Venezuela, a request made by the retired major in order to visit his family and which he completed since last May 22, they were found separated from his statement before the Jurisdiction in 2020, in which the name of Santiago Uribe Vélez appeared, again.

According to Meneses Quintero’s statement, the former president’s brother was aware of and, in addition, would have been part of the group of ranchers and merchants who sponsored the paramilitary group and who endorsed the “social cleansing” work. According to his story, since before his arrival in the municipality of Yarumal, Antioquia, where he served as Police Commander, work on the aforementioned “social cleansing” had already been carried out, information that, he says, he made known to Captain Pedro Benavides Rivera. , then commander of the unit.

“The primary objective of generating links with the National Police was that they (the paramilitaries) would have peace of mind in their criminal actions and that their men, when committing the homicides, would not be captured and in the end these ranchers, farmers and merchants could have peace of mind.” that they were not going to be extorted or kidnapped and thus reduce criminal activity in the area,” adds Meneses’ statement.

Likewise, the retired major explained to the JEP that “money was partly received by ranchers and merchants to allow the actions of these criminal groups and, on the other hand, by some members of the Subsijín and some uniformed officers (…) “They collaborated with that social cleansing group, understanding that they were helping with the institutional purpose of maintaining security.”

Likewise, Meneses Quintero mentioned some names of Police officials who had a “friendship” with some members of the paramilitary group ‘The 12 Apostles’. “Mr. Second Corporal Rodríguez Vanegas, agent Jiménez Coca, agent Arroyave Arias Norbey, and other uniformed members such as Alexander Amaya Vargas, agent Guevara Luis, had a friendship long before my arrival in Yarumal, that is, there was a consolidated friendship between these members of the police institution with some members of the paramilitary group, as aliases Rodrigo and aliases “Chonta Hair”.

Regarding the participation of the brother of former president Álvaro Uribe, the retired major explained to the JEP: “In addition to this information known to me and given to Captain Benavides at the time of receiving the position of District Commander, he also revealed a close “Friendly relationship with Santiago Uribe Vélez and other ranchers and merchants in the sector who are sponsors of the social cleansing group.” Meneses Quintero also explained his participation in the murders in Yarumal and pointed out that his mission as Police Commander was “not to go as a public force to the scene of the events at the time the murders were committed, that is, not to intervene to prevent the facts”.

Regarding his trip to Venezuela, the Legal Definitions Chamber of the JEP indicated that “the departure of the appearing party from the country does not imply risks for the fulfillment of his commitments or of escape”, since, they assure, Meneses Quintero has met the requirements to request those types of benefits but they made it clear that he must return to Colombia on July 1. Furthermore, the JEP points out, the oldest has not made new contributions lately.

Get to know the JEP order regarding the departure of Major (r) Juan Carlos Meneses Quintero:

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