By Ellis Cortez
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BOGOTA, Colombia – The governor of the northern province of La Guajira, Juan Francisco ‘Kiko’ Gomez, was arrested by Colombian officials for his involvement in three murders and for collaboration with right-wing paramilitaries.

Colombia’s Deputy Attorney General, Jorge Fernando Perdomo, said that Gomez was linked to the 1997 assassination of a Barrancas city councilman, Luis Lopez Peralta, and the killings in 2000 of Luis Alejandro Rodriguez Frias and Rosa Mercedes Cabrera Alfaro.

Gomez is also accused of criminal involvement with paramilitary groups in La Guajira, on Colombia’s border with Venezuela. The charges include links with Rodrigo Tovar, commander of the right-wing United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), and Salvatore Mancuso. Tovar and Mancuso were extradited to the United States on drug trafficking charges in 2008.

The governor’s supporters surrounded Gomez’s house to try to prevent his arrest when police came for him during a festival in his home town of Barrancas, in north-eastern Colombia. He was later removed from the property in an ambulance, with undisclosed injuries and was under treatment at a clinic.

Earlier this week Kiko Gomez was charged with five counts of corruption, in a separate case. Gomez, who served as mayor of Barrancas from 1995 to 1997 and again from 2001 to 2003, was elected governor of La Guajira in 2011.

Colombia’s paramilitaries were created in the 1980s by drug traffickers and ranchers to counter leftist rebel kidnapping and extortion. However, many of the militias degenerated into death squads and carried out massacres of peasants suspected of having rebel sympathies. They also killed journalists and union members accused of favoring the leftist insurgents.

The AUC, accused of committing numerous human rights violations, demobilized during the administration of former Colombian President, Alvaro Uribe. During the demobilization, thousands of paramilitaries gave testimony and handed in their weapons in exchange for benefits, including immunity from prosecution in some cases.

More than one hundred national, regional and local politicians were investigated for links with the AUC and other paramilitaries as part of scandal known as the “parapolitics,” Dozens of those accused have been convicted.

For more information please see:

ABC News – Colombia Governor Arrested, Accused of Gang Ties – 13 October 2013

The Washington Post – Colombian governor arrested on racketeering charges, suspected in 3 killings – 13 October 2013

BBC – Colombian governor Kiko Gomez charged with murder – 13 October 2013

El Tiempo – En ambulancia, sale capturado ‘Kiko’ Gómez, gobernador de La Guajira – 12 October 2013

By Ellis Cortez
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BRASILIA, Brazil – Ten military police officers in Brazil are accused of torturing, murdering, and then hiding the corpse of Amarildo de Souza, a resident of the city’s biggest favela, Rocinha.

Souza, 43, was last seen by his family on July 14th, when he went to buy seasoning for the fish dinner he had bought his wife and six children. His family later learned that Souza, a bricklayer, was rounded up in a police sweep of possible drug traffickers and was taken to police headquarters in Rio de Janeiro.

Prosecutor Homer das Neves said that Souza, who was an epileptic, was allegedly taken for questioning, then tortured with electric shocks and suffocated with a plastic bag. Mr. Souza’s body is still missing.

Police said that Souza had been brought in for questioning and was released. The officers state they had nothing to do with his subsequent disappearance. However, a prosecutor said there was no evidence from security camera footage that Souza ever left police headquarters. There was evidence that two security cameras were turned off or burned. A court ordered the arrest of the officers who all deny any involvement.

Souza’s wife, Elizabeth, said her husband had lived in the area without any problem for 43 years. She accused the police of “pure evil” and said they had tried to coerce her into dropping the case.

The revelations are a major setback for government efforts to “pacify” favelas by using paramilitary forces to drive out drug-trafficking gangs and replace them with resident-friendly police units known as the Pacifying Police Unit (UPP).

The pacification program is a key element of Rio’s efforts to reduce crime, improve public security, and revitalize the city before the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games, which are both being held in Brazil. However, favela residents have long complained that the methods used by the police are excessively brutal.

The incident was allegedly committed by members of the UPP. One of the 10 accused is the commander of the UPP in Rocinha, Edson dos Santos. It is alleged that he attempted to bribe witnesses to blame drug dealers for the killing.

Brazil’s human rights minister, Maria del Rosario, said, “what this investigation reveals is the necessity of changes so that the police are more focused, more accountable to citizens and not oriented towards criminal disregard for human rights.”

Their UPP’s involvement in Souza’s disappearance has led to protests in Rio and other cities both in Brazil and abroad. The case has drawn attention to allegations of police violence in the “pacification” of Rio’s favelas. Critics say it is indicative of a large number of disappearances in Rio and the lack of investigation into them.

For more information please see:

BBC – Brazil police charged with Rio murder over Amarildo case – 5 October 2013

CNN – 10 cops in Brazil accused of killing and hiding body – 4 October 2013

The Wall Street Journal – Police Criticized After Allegations of Torture in Rio – 3 October 2013

The Guardian – Brazil: Rio police charged over torture and death of missing favela man – 2 October 2013

By Ellis Cortez
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

CARACAS, Venezuela – Venezuelan authorities have arrested 17 people in connection with a shipment of 1.3 tons of cocaine in an Air France flight from Caracas to Paris.

The Venezuelan Attorney General’s Office said eight members of the National Guard and nine Air France and airport staff have been detained on drug charges. In addition, three Italians and two Britons were arrested in France.

The flight originated at Simon Bolivar International Airport in Caracas, the Venezuelan capital. The drugs arrived at Charles de Gaulle Airport in Paris on September 11. French authorities discovered the 1.3 tons of pure cocaine stuffed inside 31 suitcases registered under false names that did not correspond to passengers on the flight.

French authorities have called it the country’s largest cocaine bust ever, with an estimated value of $270 million. They worked with Spanish, British and Dutch police on the investigation. French Interior Minister Manuel Valls said, this case “illustrates the importance of strengthening International cooperation in the fight against traffickers.”

Air France said it was still trying to find out how the drugs were smuggled on board. “Pending the results of these investigations, immediate measures have been taken to enhance our checks of baggage and goods on departure from certain sensitive destinations,” the airline said in a statement.

Venezuelan Interior and Justice Minister Miguel Rodriguez Torres told reporters in Venezuela that authorities think an organized crime group with Italian and British members is responsible for the shipment. “The suitcases were not taken into the plane through the regular baggage platforms at the airport. We’re investigating how the drug (shipment) got to the airport,” he said.

The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime says Venezuela does not produce sizeable quantities of cocaine, but drug traffickers are increasingly using its territory to smuggle drugs from Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia to other nations.

The U.S. government has accused Venezuela of failing to adhere to international efforts against drug smuggling, and also charges that high-ranking military personnel have benefited from narcotics trafficking. Venezuela denies those charges and highlights its frequent announcements of drug seizures as proof of their progress in combating the illicit trade.

For more information please see:

BBC – Venezuela arrests 22 over cocaine in plane to Paris – 27 September 2013

CNN – Arrests made in Air France flight cocaine case – 25 September 2013

Fox News – Venezuela arrests 22 in Air France cocaine bust – 25 September 2013

The Wall Street Journal – Venezuela Makes More Arrests in Probe of Smuggling Aboard Jetliner – 25 September 2013

The Guardian – Cocaine seizure: three Britons arrested in Paris, Venezuela says – 23 September 2013

By Ellis Cortez
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina – Argentine police say they have arrested an alleged 19-year-old hacker on suspicion of leading a gang of hackers who targeted international money transfers and gambling websites.

Named “the superhacker”, the teenager was making $50,000 a month, working from his bedroom police say. The teenager, whose identity has not been revealed, is the son of an information systems engineer. Police have been following the teenager for over a year.

Argentine police raided the home of the young man on September 13^th in the Buenos Aires neighborhood of San Cristobal. The arrest operation shut down the power in the entire neighborhood to prevent the deletion of sensitive data.

Police raiding the teenager’s residence found that the young man had set up a “technological cave” with high-capacity computers which he used as a base to administer his online fraud network. Police seized electronic equipment, including cables, routers and over 14 hard drives. Officials identified six more people who were involved in the criminal network.

The arrest of the 19-year-old comes as part of Operation Zombie, an extensive police manhunt which began in 2012 when a businessman providing hosting services for personal web pages said that a hacker was remotely entering the servers to intercept monetary transfers.

Argentina’s chief prosecutor, Graciela Gils Carbo, ordered a federal investigation, which found that the same person was stealing from money transfers and online gaming sites. A Security Ministry statement said, “Internet users were victims of a ‘malware’ virus that the hacker hosted in a server for downloading online gaming applications.”

It was called Operation Zombie because the suspected hacker carried out a “denial of service” attack that used a network of thousands of “zombie” computers to overload the server, making it impossible for the users to access their accounts around the time of the attack. This would let him divert the money unnoticed and avoid alerting victims to an illegal money transfer.

The young man is being accused of three crimes, and if convicted of all, could be sentenced to more than 10 years in prison.

For more information please see:

Al Jazeera – Argentina arrests 19-year-old ‘super-hacker’ – 14 September 2013

RT News – Argentina arrests teen ‘superhacker’ for stealing $50,000 a month – 14 September 2013

The Telegraph – Argentinian ‘super-hacker’ arrested over online scams – 14 September 2013

BBC – Argentina arrests teen hacker who netted $50,000 a month – 13 September 2013

Univision Noticias – Hacker que robaba 50 mil dólares al mes fue capturado en Argentina – 13 September 2013

 

 

By Ellis Cortez
Impunity Watch Reporter, South America

SANTIAGO, Chile – On September 11^th, more than 260 people were arrested and 42 police officers were injured during protests marking the 40^th anniversary of the 1973 military coup led by General Augusto Pinochet.

Police say six officers were listed in serious condition with gunshot wounds and burns from acid. Gen. Rodolfo Pacheco, one of the Chilean capital’s top police chiefs, was taken by helicopter to a hospital after being struck in the head with a petrol bomb.

The protests spread across Huechuraba, San Bernardo, Estacion Central, Pudahuel, La Reina, Peñalolen and Lo Prado, all located around Santiago. The protests started on September 11^th, and ended in the early morning hours of September 12^th.

Protesters set up barricades and attacked police, who responded with tear gas and water cannons. Six buses and seven cars were set on fire by protesters armed with fire bombs. In Santiago, four businesses were looted, and electricity lines were severed, prompting power cuts in 200,000 homes.

“Last night was a violent night, but it could have been much more violent if it hadn’t been for the efficient response of police,” President Sebastian Pinera told reporters. Pinera called on judges to punish those behind the clashes “with severity.” Chilean protests are often infiltrated by violent anarchist groups and end with clashes between police and hooded vandals who throw rocks, firebombs and acid.

The government had deployed more than 8,000 police throughout the capital to prevent a repeat of the violence seen in previous years. Pinera recently said that in the last two years, “more than 700 police officers have been injured by the cowardly acts of hooded vandals, including recent victims who were burned with acid or Molotov bombs.”

President Sebastian Pinera submitted a bill to Congress earlier this year that strengthens penalties for those who insult or physically harm police and makes it a crime to attack police headquarters or vehicles.

Approximately 40,000 people suffered human rights abuses in Chile under Gen. Augusto Pinochet’s brutal dictatorship from 1973 to 1990. The government estimates more than 3,000 were killed or forcibly disappeared during Pinochet’s rule. More than 1,000 human rights cases are still ongoing in Chilean courts.

For more information please see:

ABC News – Chile Coup Anniversary Toll: 264 Arrests – 12 September 2013

The Washington Post – Chile’s toll from coup anniversary violence, arson: 42 police officers wounded, 264 arrests – 12 September 2013

BBC – Hundreds arrested in Chile clashes on coup anniversary – 12 September 2013

Fox News Latino – Hundreds arrested, scores hurt in disturbances in Chile – 12 September 2013

BBC – Clashes in Chile on anniversary of 1973 military coup – 11 September 2013