Here is an English translation of a table compiled in mid-August by the Colombian think-tank INDEPAZ. It lists the 39 members of Colombia’s Congress who are under investigation, and the 29 currently in detention, on suspicion of having colluded with paramilitary groups.
The list has been updated to reflect the release, two weeks ago, of Sen. Mario Uribe (the president’s cousin) and other very controversial cases of charges dropped by the Prosecutor-General’s Office.
Thanks to CIP Intern Anthony Dest for the translation.
Members of Congress implicated
in parapolitics; the list includes those under current investigation and
those detained as of September 3, 2008.
And the count continues…
PARAPOLITICS
INDEPAZ investigative unit
Members of Congress INVESTIGATED
|  Department  |
 Name |  Title |  Party |
|
Antioquia 5 Atlántico 2 |
Mauricio |
Representative |
Liberal |
|
Oscar |
Senator |
“Wings” Team Colombia (Alas Equipo Colombia) |
|
|
Antonio |
Senator |
“Wings” Team Colombia (Alas Equipo Colombia) |
|
|
Jorge |
Representative |
Liberal |
|
|
Mario |
Senator |
Democratic Colombia (Colombia Democrática) |
|
|
David |
Senator |
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
|
|
Armando |
Senator |
Social National Unity (”La ‘U’”) |
|
|
Bogotá |
Juan |
Senator |
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
|
BolÃvar 3 |
Javier |
Senator |
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
|
Héctor |
Representative |
Liberal Opening (Apertura Liberal) |
|
|
Fernando |
Representative |
Liberal Opening (Apertura Liberal) |
|
|
Cauca |
LuÃs |
Senator |
Liberal |
|
Caldas 2 |
Adriana |
Senator |
Social National Unity (”La ‘U’”) |
|
VÃctor |
Senator |
Liberal |
|
|
Cesar |
Alfredo |
Representative |
Conservative |
|
Córdoba 3 |
Musa |
Representative |
Liberal |
|
Zulema |
Senator |
Social National Unity (”La ‘U’”) |
|
|
Julio |
Senator |
Conservative |
|
|
Cundinamarca |
Nancy |
Senator |
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
|
Guainia |
Sandra |
Representative |
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
|
Magdalena |
Rodrigo |
Representative |
Liberal Opening (Apertura Liberal) |
|
Meta |
LuÃs |
Senator |
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
|
Nariño 2 |
Eduardo |
Senator |
Conservative |
|
Myiam |
Representative |
Conservative |
|
|
Norte 3 |
Carlos |
Senator |
Citizen Convergence (Convergencia Ciudadana) |
|
Juan |
Senator |
Conservative |
|
|
Manuel |
Senator |
Social National Unity (”La ‘U’”) |
|
|
Putumayo |
Guillermo |
Representative |
Liberal |
|
Risaralda |
Habib |
Senator |
Long Live Colombia (Colombia Viva) |
|
Santander 4 |
LuÃs |
Senator |
Citizen Convergence (Convergencia Ciudadana) |
|
José |
Representative |
Citizen Convergence (Convergencia Ciudadana) |
|
|
Oscar |
Senator |
Citizen Convergence (Convergencia Ciudadana) |
|
|
LuÃs |
Representative |
Citizen Convergence (Convergencia Ciudadana) |
|
|
Sucre 2 |
Jairo |
Representative |
Social Action (Acción Social) |
|
José |
Representative |
Democratic Colombia (Colombia Democrática) |
|
|
Tolima |
Mauricio |
Senator |
Liberal |
|
Valle 3 |
Dilian |
Senator |
Social National Unity (”La ‘U’”) |
|
Juan |
Senator |
Citizen Convergence (Convergencia Ciudadana) |
|
|
Luis |
Representative |
Social National Unity (”La ‘U’”) |
Total Members of Congress INVESTIGATEDÂ
|  Political Party |  Senators |  Representatives |  Total |
|
Liberal Opening (Apertura Liberal) |
1 |
3 |
4 |
|
“Wings” Team Colombia (Alas Equipo Colombia) |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
5 |
1 |
6 |
|
Democratic Colombia (Colombia Democrática) |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Long Live Colombia (Colombia Viva) |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Conservative |
3 |
2 |
5 |
|
Citizen Convergence (Convergencia Ciudadana) |
4 |
2 |
6 |
|
Liberal |
3 |
4 |
7 |
|
Social Action (Acción Social) |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Social National Unity (”La ‘U’”) |
5 |
1 |
6 |
| Total |
24 |
15 |
39 |
PARAPOLITICS
INDEPAZ investigative unit
Members of Congress DETAINED
|  Department |  Name |  Title |  Party |
|
Antioquia 3 |
Rubén |
Senator |
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
|
Humberto Builes |
Senator |
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
|
|
Guillermo |
Senator |
 Liberal |
|
|
Atlántico 2 |
Dieb |
Senator |
Long Live Colombia (Colombia Viva) |
|
Jorge |
Senator |
Long Live Colombia (Colombia Viva) |
|
|
BolÃvar |
Vicente |
Senator |
Long Live Colombia (Colombia Viva) |
|
Boyacá |
Ciro |
Senator |
Conservative |
|
Caldas 2 |
Emilio |
Representative |
Liberal |
|
Dixon |
Representative |
Liberal |
|
|
Caquetá |
LuÃs |
Representative |
Popular Participation (Participación |
|
Casanare |
Oscar |
Representative |
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
|
Cesar 3 |
Ãlvaro |
Senator |
“Wings” Team Colombia (Alas Equipo Colombia) |
|
Ãlvaro |
Representative |
“Wings” Team Colombia (Alas Equipo Colombia) |
|
|
Mauricio |
Senator |
Social National Unity (”La ‘U’”) |
|
|
Córdoba 3 Magdalena 6 Norte de Santander Sucre 2 Tolima 3 |
Miguel |
Senator |
Democratic Colombia (Colombia Democrática) |
|
Reginaldo |
Senator |
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
|
|
Juan |
Senator |
Liberal |
|
|
Jorge |
Representative |
Liberal Opening (Apertura Liberal) |
|
|
Alfonso |
Representative |
Conservative |
|
|
Karley |
Representative |
Moral Movement (Movimiento |
|
|
LuÃs |
Senator |
Citizen Convergence (Convergencia Ciudadana) |
|
|
Miguel |
Senator |
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
|
|
Alonso |
Representative |
Moral Movement (Movimiento |
|
|
Ricardo Elcure Chacón |
Senator |
Democratic Colombia (Colombia Democrática) |
|
|
Ãlvaro |
Senator |
Democratic Colombia (Colombia Democrática) |
|
|
Eric |
Representative |
Democratic Colombia (Colombia Democrática) |
|
|
Gonzalo |
Representative |
Conservative |
|
|
Pompilio |
Representative |
Liberal |
|
|
Carlos |
Senator |
Social National Unity (”La ‘U’”) |
Total Members of Congress DETAINED
|  Political Party |  Senators |  Representatives |  Total |
|
Liberal Opening (Apertura Liberal) |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
“Wings” Team Colombia (Alas Equipo Colombia) |
1 |
1 |
2 |
|
Radical Change (Cambio Radical) |
4 |
1 |
5 |
|
Democratic Colombia (Colombia Democrática) |
3 |
1 |
4 |
|
Long Live Colombia (Colombia Viva) |
3 |
0 |
3 |
|
Conservative |
1 |
2 |
3 |
|
Citizen Convergence (Convergencia Ciudadana) |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
Moral Movement (Movimiento |
0 |
2 |
2 |
|
Liberal |
2 |
3 |
5 |
|
Participación Popular |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
Social National Unity (”La ‘U’”) |
2 |
0 |
2 |
| Total |
17 |
12 |
29 |
Modified September 3, 2008
September 4th, 2008 at 1:26 pm
Great post, with everything that has been going on in Colombia, it is good to know someone is keep an official tab of the para-politics still. It’s a lot harder to keep tabs of than the farc-politica with its 12 under investigation mainly for possible unauthorized contact…
September 4th, 2008 at 2:37 pm
Kalyman, I know only of Piedad Cordoba and another politician being investigated, for farc related links. There are some journalists too. Could you enumarate the other politicians, that make up the twelve, for truth’s sake?
September 4th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Excellent post… I dont know about the previous comments though… without the the FARC, there would be no serious politics in Colombia, and hence no hope for social change in Colombia. following website of leading Latin Americanist Professor James Petras is recommended. http://petras.lahaine.org/index.php
September 4th, 2008 at 9:56 pm
Nicely done. It’d be nice to have the parties that have 0 totals listed, too, for comparison for those of us who don’t know Colombia’s party system.
September 5th, 2008 at 11:51 am
Wow, Richard. I agree with Petras on some things, particularly on the geopolitical and neoliberal importance of Plan Colombia (http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1132/is_1_53/ai_74826973/pg_1?tag=artBody;col1), but he goes way overboard in attempting to legitimate the FARC’s dirty tactics by arguing that the Russians, Chinese and Vietnamese never would have gotten anywhere without doing the same stuff (http://www.lahaine.org/index.php?blog=3&title=fidel_castro_y_las_farc_ocho_tesis_erron) and that it’s ok because the Colombian state/paramilitaries do way worse things. The lesser evil is still evil, and all revolutions which place ends above means are doomed to failure.
The only solution for Colombia is economic integration and opportunity for the disaffected and rule of law. Although the farc-politica seems to be a politicized reaction to the parapolitica, you have to uphold rule of law across the board and carry out investigations, or else the whole enterprise loses legitimacy, just like Uribe is hoping for.
September 5th, 2008 at 1:08 pm
You are right Jaime that the farcpolitica covers varies people. I meant that by the 12 people just the 12 people in total being looked into but should have specified that they are not all politicians, although the “scandal” has been labeled “farcopolitica.”
October 18th, 2008 at 2:23 pm
[...] Congress members who are currently under investigation for having ties with paramilitary groups. Go here for the current [...]