The claims of the former president of the Republic Álvaro Uribib about the murdered former mayor of El Roble (Sucre) Eudaldo Díaz Salgado, who were made during the interrogation to which he has been submitted by his defense as one of the witnesses to demonstrate his innocence, in the process that is accused of the crimes of procedural fraud, bribery and bribe family of the local ex -president: who questioned the partial mention made by the former head of this painful case, occurred 22 years ago.
Juan David Díaz, son of Díaz Salgado, spoke with Infobae Colombia on Wednesday, May 7, 2025, in the face of the recent statements of the former head of state in his trial, in which he referred to the complaints and threats prior to his father’s murder. During the session, in which he was questioned by his lawyer Jaime Granados, Uribe acknowledged that the former mayor had expressed fears for his life; Although, in the opinion of Díaz JR. And his family, omitted several crucial aspects of the case, which has generated outrage among the victims of this crime that still causes consternation.
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In his statements he reiterated that, While it is true that the former president acknowledged that his father had differences with the then governor of Sucre, Salvador Aranathe same one who confessed to having been the determinant of this crime, did not mention that these disagreements arose because Eudaldo denounced the links of the former sectional with the paramilitarism and the pressure he exerted on him so that the resources of the municipality were to stop at the hands of the paramilitaries.
“There were situations of nonconformity. These differences were because my dad denounced, in front of him, Mr. Salvador Arana as a person who had alliances with paramilitarism And that he was pressing him so that the coffers of the municipality were going to the paramilitaries. That is not said by former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, ”reaffirmed the victims leader.
In that sense, Díaz regretted that Uribe did not mention the fact that his father had requested multiple times protection to the authorities. “My father requested protection before being killed and President Uribe never responded. The State was convicted of not protecting the life of Eudaldo Díaz, and this is something that the former president has never recognized. It was demonstrated during a process of more than 10 years that there was no protection by the authorities to my father’s life,” said the son of the former mayor, in an interview with this writing.
Díaz also mentioned The missives sent to the Presidency of the Republicin which protection was requested for his father before his murder, and pointed out that after the death of Eudaldo Díaz, the then mayor of El Roble, the family continued to ask for security, fearing for their own lives. “We have the letters with the letterheads of those received. We get tired of writing to President Uribe, and despite everything, he did not protect us. In fact, he let them kill us, as they let my father murder,” said one of the victims of this event.
It is valid to notice that Uribe’s claims in the judicial process, when questioned about the case, They referred to a community council in which Eudaldo Díaz denounced that they wanted to kill him.
“I am the mayor of El Roble suspended. Suspended for a single reason: I was able to denounce the governor of the department of Sucre. And it is unfair that a popularly chosen mayor is suspended in the most miserable way, as they have done with me. With this there are two things, which will be achieved: there was already a suspension, now comes the dismissal. And after the dismissal comes my death, ”said the murdered mayor, who reiterated his concerns later:“ See everything they invented and kill me. Now the other step comes, I repeat, and they are going to kill me. ”
On the subject, The former president, who ruled between 2002 and 2010, recalled that during that eventadvanced on February 1, 2003 in Corozal (Sucre), the former mayor warned about the threats he received. And he explained that, in response to that complaint, “he instructed for the case to be transferred to the control entities, such as the Attorney General’s Office and the Prosecutor’s Office,” to take the necessary measures.
“I asked to protect all the mayors of Colombia. The mayor of El Roble, Eudaldo Díaz, told us that he had discussions with the governor and that he was threatened. The first thing I did was order to investigate and follow up on the case, ”said Uribe in his speech, which defended his actions. However, according to the counterpart, which spoke with Infobae Colombiahe did not mention at any time the lack of an effective security scheme for the former mayor, nor the subsequent omission in the protection of his life.
In his response to former mayor Díaz Salgado, Uribe Vélez, in effect, He transferred the serious complaints, or at least is what was evidenced in his statements.
“We have allowed the disorder for the severity of the subject, but we also ask you to consider us the time with the greatest taste and it is our duty the complaint that you have formulated. I am going to ask Dr. Any Vásquez (counselor for the regions) that makes the executive coordination of these community councils, The prosecution is transferred to the Prosecutor’s Office, and I am going to ask Dr. Germán Cardona to address the Attorney General’s Office and transmits to the Attorney General of the Nation (Edgardo Maya) What we have heard here. Because transparency cannot have exceptions and security is for all Colombians, otherwise we would not be talking about democratic security, ”said Uribe, in his visit.
As mentioned above, Juan David Díaz recapitulated the way in which the complaints made by the man who generated him ended up marking his destiny, before the order of Arana: condemned for its involvement in the crime of Eudaldo Díaz at 40 yearsbut on probation by decision of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), by making a commitment to deliver truth, justice and repair; actions that would not have been fulfilled so far. Therefore, he questioned that the ex -president has not been extensive in his statement.
“Then Álvaro Uribe Vélez is telling half truths And at this moment I think it would be appropriate for the truth to tell the countryto recognize it: to accept that he did not protect my father and that he rewarded as an ambassador to the murderer of his, although he knew perfectly why the differences were between my father and this man. And clearly, and I repeat it, it was because of the links that this man had with paramilitarism, “he said.
Indeed, the politician was subsequently appointed as a diplomat of Colombia in Chile; In a decision that, according to Díaz, demonstrates the impunity with which those acted in power; For more of the declaration of guilt of the involved and his request for public forgiveness.
“I cannot now give them the details they ask me about how his father died. But I will tell you something here that I have never said in 20 years and that I hid to ordinary justice: I was the intellectual author of his father’s death. Brother, husband, Eudaldo Díaz. A person who opposed the expansion of the paramilitary project in Sucre, fought corruption and died for pursuing a more just and equitable society. Today I recognize this before you, although it costs me and I have to tell you the truth. And I ask you from heart that they can forgive me, ”Arana said at an audience before the JEP, as part of the truth recognition process.
A crucial point in the evolution of this media case was Salvatore Mancuso confessionformer leader of the United Self -Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), which he recognized in May 2023, during the unique hearing in front of the Transitional Court, that the death of Eudaldo Díaz was ordered by Salvador Arana. Mancuso also accused Uribe Vélez of having retired the security of Eudaldo Díaz, which facilitated his murder.
“It was a direct request I think that from the governor (Salvador Arana) I do not remember at this time, I know that in a community council He denounced before the then President Uribe who was going to kill him and Uribe what he did was take off the security scheme and we kill him ”he indicated in that judicial diligence, in which he spoke long and lying of the links of paramilitarism with companies, politicians and government organizations, at the local and national level.
So, Díaz also mentioned the murder of Edelmiro ‘Chino’ Anaya, Exparamilitar that was part of the facts that led to the crime of his father, but which was executed in 2024: when an attack on the son of the businesswoman of Chance, Emilse López, Jorge Luis Alfonso López, aka the Gatico was committed. He had become one of the last key witnesses of the case; Although days before his death, he had revealed to a local journalist details about what would be responsible for the crime, fearing for his life after being attacked twice.
“This character was one of the few who could clarify even more about the intellectual and material authorship of my father’s death. Unfortunately, he was killed before he could share all the information,” said the son of the final local ex -president. A death that even He would have regretted Mancuso, as was learned in a statement that issued in May 2024, after knowing the fact.
“This attack demonstrates the Fire capacity of illegal armed organizations When it comes to high value objectives like us. I have insisted that our Security schemes have the necessary technical and operational capabilities to counteract attacks of this level ”was read in the aforementioned communication.
And is that the murder of Eudaldo Díaz has left a long list of crime -related victims. Juan David Díaz recalled that, since the death of his father, at least 21 people linked to the case have been killed, which would represent the level of cover -up that still persist around this crime: one of the most emblematic of the fight against paramilitarism in Colombia, and in which there would be a complex a network of political actors, paramilitaries and public officials involved in his murder.
