Zulema Jattin Case: Prosecutor Removed After ‘Uncomfortable’ Questions
A prosecutor assigned to Colombia’s Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) was abruptly removed from his post after questioning former Senator Zulema Jattin about alleged links between politicians and paramilitary groups, according to reports and a statement from the Prosecutor General’s office.
Carlos Alberto Garzón, the lawyer delegated by the Prosecutor’s office, reportedly asked Jattin about her connections to Luis Gustavo Moreno, a former anti-corruption prosecutor who was extradited to the United States after being caught on video accepting a bribe. He too inquired about her relationship with Jairo Andrés Angarita, a former lieutenant to paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso, and William Salleg, the owner of a Córdoba-based newspaper, El Meridiano, which a court in Medellín previously found had served as a propaganda tool for paramilitary groups.
The questions, part of a broader inquiry into the paramilitary presence in the Valencia and Tierralta regions of Córdoba, reportedly angered Jattin and her legal counsel. Magistrate Nadiezdha Hernríquez, presiding over the hearing, supported Garzón’s line of questioning, according to Colombian news outlet Caracol Radio.
Following the interrogation, Prosecutor General Gregorio Eljach reportedly received calls from both himself and the coordinator of delegates before the JEP, questioning the nature of Garzón’s inquiries. The following day, Garzón received a resolution signed by Eljach declaring him “insubsistent,” effectively removing him from his position.
Eljach, when contacted for comment, stated he could not discuss the matter publicly due to a pending legal challenge to the administrative act.
Jattin, a former congresswoman from Córdoba, has been under investigation for over a decade for alleged ties to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) and its leaders, including Carlos Castaño, Salvatore Mancuso, and Rodrigo Mercado Pelufo, alias ‘Cadena,’ responsible for the massacres of El Salado and Macayepo. She was recently admitted to the JEP in exchange for providing information about the “parapolitics” scandal in Córdoba and Sucre.
During previous testimony before the JEP, Jattin mentioned former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, alleging he discouraged her from reporting paramilitary interference in her political activities. She also named several other politicians and businessmen with alleged links to Mancuso, including former Senator Álvaro García Romero and businessman David Char.
The removal of Garzón raises questions about the independence of the Prosecutor’s office in investigating sensitive cases related to the country’s decades-long armed conflict and the extent to which political considerations may influence the pursuit of justice.
Separately, U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio testified Tuesday before a federal court in Miami in the criminal case against former Congressman David Rivera, who is accused of acting as a lobbyist for the Maduro regime in Venezuela. Rubio stated he was unaware Rivera was lobbying for Maduro when requesting meetings and was surprised by the revelation.