Pubdate: Fri, 17 Jun 2005
Source: Miami Herald (FL)
Copyright: 2005 The Miami Herald
Contact:  http://www.miami.com/mld/miamiherald/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/262
Author: Dan Molinski, Associated Press
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

FOR TRAFFICKERS, IT'S QUICK CASH OR BUST

Paramilitaries Desperate To Make Big Bucks Before They Demobilize Are 
Smuggling Out Much Larger Quantities Of Cocaine -- Leading To More Seizures

BOGOTA - Paramilitary leaders are rushing to sell millions of dollars' 
worth of cocaine before they demobilize so they can retire wealthy from 
Colombia's protracted war, a top military commander said Thursday.

Navy chief Adm. Mauricio Soto said in an interview with The Associated 
Press that the paramilitary United Self Defense Forces of Colombia, or AUC, 
is shipping an unprecedented amount of stored cocaine from the country 
ahead of their demobilization, which is under way as part of a peace deal 
with the government. As a result, cocaine seizures have shot up, as 
traffickers try to smuggle out more shipments, Soto said.

"[The paramilitaries] are desperate. They urgently need to sell what they 
have," Soto said. "They need the money, because if they are going to 
demobilize, what interests them is the cash."

The Colombian Navy has seized a record 63 tons of the drug this year, 55 
percent of it belonging to the AUC, Soto said. In comparison, the navy 
seized 84 tons in all of 2004. In both years, the navy has been responsible 
for two-thirds of all cocaine seizures in Colombia.

Jose Miguel Vivanco, director for Human Rights Watch-Americas, said he is 
not surprised that AUC chieftains are selling their cocaine supplies before 
demobilizing, because an amnesty bill would not penalize them if they lie 
about crimes committed or ill-gotten goods they have hidden.

"These criminals have no incentive to fully disclose this information," 
Vivanco said in a telephone interview from Washington.

The amnesty bill, set to be approved by Congress this month, would offer 
reduced prison sentences for AUC members in return for their 
demobilization. The legislation also calls for the AUC to return any 
profits made from illegal activities, but analysts say the paramilitary 
leaders will attempt to hide their many millions of dollars in laundered 
drug-trafficking profits.

Human Rights Watch said the bill severely limits the time frame for 
investigation of paramilitaries' crimes, making it virtually impossible to 
hold them accountable.

It proposed eliminating provisions that force prosecutors to file all 
charges within 24 hours after receiving statements from demobilized 
fighters, as well as another part of the bill that would limit the time for 
investigation to 30 days after charges are filed.

U.S. lawmakers, the United Nations and others have expressed concern that 
Colombian President Alvaro Uribe's peace deal ignores the AUC's continuing 
involvement in the drug trade. Colombia is the world's largest producer of 
cocaine, with trafficking dominated by the right- wing AUC and leftist rebels.

The paramilitary factions, which sprung up in the 1980s to attack leftist 
rebels, are engaged in peace talks with the government that aim to disarm 
the AUC's 13,000 fighters by the end of 2005. Two leftist rebel groups who 
have been battling a succession of elected governments in Colombia for more 
than 40 years have refused to enter into peace talks.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom