Carlos Garzón Villamil, Ex-Public Servant at the Support Mission for the Process of Peace in Colombia of the Organization of the American States (MAPP/OEA) has been arrested and will be prosecuted for corruption. Garzón is accused of receiving money from FARC members in order to use his position at the JEP to grant amnesty to imprisoned FARC terrorists.
The JEP, or Special Jurisdiction for Peace, was created is a justice organism, created as part of the peace agreement between the Colombian government and the FARC, are in charge of prosecuting ex-guerrilla soldiers. This organism has the power to grant amnesty, reduced sentences, and can free FARC terrorists who are currently imprisoned.
According to the General Prosecutor’s Office, Garzón Villamil sold a favor to Jose Eberto López ‘El Caracho’, who was set to be processed by the Special Jurisdiction for Peace. Once discovered, Garzón was immediately fired from his position.
The Organization of the American States condemned the corruption and expressed their dismay, fearing that actions like this that could interfere or distort implementation of agreements. They have agreed to cooperate fully with investigators.
The bribery charge is not surprising, given FARC’s purportedly large cash reserves. Many, including ex-Colombian president and current Senator Álvaro Uribe have criticized the FARC agreements as not going far enough, leaving the terrorist group with the enormous cash reserves garnered during their decades of narcotrafficking.
