Colombia: Aguazul Mayor arrested

The Colombian mayor José Mauricio Pérez Giménez, was arrested the night of last Oct. 11th, for his alleged involvement in enforced disappearance.

 

The arrest of the mayor of the town of Aguazul (department of Casanare) was done by policemen from the Judicial Investigation Directorate. The arrest was ordered by the Prosecutor's Office, and is part of the investigation of enforced disappearance in the department of Casanare.

Jimenez is accused of alleged links with the paramilitary group Autodefensas Campesinas of Casanare (ACC). This group, now almost extinct, departed from the peace process between the government and the organization Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia (AUC).

This is in addition to the arrest of six other mayors in the department of Casanare who allegedly had committed resources of their municipalities with the paramilitary groups of self-defense.