COLOMBIA ORDERS THE ARREST OF 19 POLITICIANS

The Current And Former Officials Are Suspected Of Signing A 'Devil's
Pact' With Paramilitaries

BOGOTA, COLOMBIA -- The Colombian government ordered the arrest of 19
current and former officials Monday who are accused of signing a 2001
"devil's pact" with outlawed paramilitary groups in which they
promised to work together to "re-found Colombia."

The orders represent the government's biggest move yet to bring to
justice politicians it alleges were complicit with the right-wing
militias in Colombia's decades-long civil war. Farmers and
businessmen formed the militias for self-defense against leftist
guerrillas in the 1980s, but many of the groups evolved into mafias
engaged in killings, drug trafficking, extortion, land grabs and
election fraud.

The document, known as the Treaty of Ralito, came to light this year.
Prosecutors here have described it as a "devil's pact" that
candidates signed to obtain political and financial advantage from
association with the paramilitaries.

Paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso presented a copy of the
document during court testimony he gave earlier this year.

Some of the officials alleged to have signed have said they were
forced to do so.

The Colombian government has declared paramilitary armies illegal and
forbids citizens to have any contact with them. The government
similarly prohibits any public contact with left-wing guerrilla
groups, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC.

"The attendance of these people at this meeting was free, spontaneous
and conscious. With this meeting, they promoted armed groups that
were outside the law," said Colombian Atty. Gen. Mario Iguaran in a
statement issued Monday. He was referring to a meeting in 2001 at
which the politicians are alleged to have signed the document.

Most rank-and-file paramilitary soldiers have been demobilized in
recent years, while their leaders are in the process of making
confessions and disgorging assets as part of a deal to avoid
extradition and qualify for light sentences for mass murder and other
crimes. Paramilitary leaders still exert control over many parts of
Colombia, officials say.

"The government respects and supports justice," President Alvaro
Uribe said in a statement Monday afternoon. Nevertheless, the
warrants come at a delicate time in United States-Colombia relations
as the U.S. Congress considers passing a bilateral free trade
agreement as well as extending the Plan Colombia aid package to fight
drugs and terrorism.

Warrants for the arrests of five sitting congressmen were issued by
the Supreme Court because only the highest court has the power to
file charges against national legislators. Four of the five are in
custody, including Sen. Miguel de la Espriella, who first disclosed
the existence of the document in January.

The others in custody are Sen. Reginaldo Montes, Congressman Jose de
los Santos Negrete and Sen. Juan Manuel Lopez. Still at large is Sen.
William Montes. All except Lopez are Uribe supporters.

The other 14 politicians are ex-officeholders who were indicted by
Colombia's attorney general Monday because they have lost their
immunity. They include former senators, congressmen, governors and
mayors. Eleven were in custody as of Monday evening, including
Eleonora Pineda, who frequently defended paramilitaries as a congresswoman.

Among the paramilitary leaders who signed the 2001 pact were Mancuso;
Rodrigo Tovar, alias Jorge 40; and Diego Fernando Murillo, known as
Don Berna. Mancuso and Murillo are wanted on drug-trafficking charges
in the United States.

Eight sitting members of congress, all Uribe supporters, were
arrested in November and February on charges of consorting with
paramilitaries to commit crimes that ranged from electoral fraud to
mass murder. Among them were the brother and cousin of former Foreign
Minister Maria Consuelo Araujo.