The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) has summoned former paramilitary leader Rodrigo Tovar Pupo, alias ‘Jorge 40’, for a public hearing on January 26 and 27, 2023, to testify about his alleged relationship with law enforcement during Colombia’s internal conflict.
The appearance before the JEP of ‘Jorge 40’ is the last chance he has to avail himself of this type of special justice as a third party collaborator, as long as he can prove that before being part of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) he helped these groups as a civilian and that crimes were committed in collusion with the police or the army.
Until now, the JEP had denied his request, since this special court, created after the peace agreements with the now defunct FARC guerrillas, does not have jurisdiction over paramilitary groups.
Jorge 40′ will testify from La Picaleña prison in the city of Ibagué (Tolima), where he has been held since his return from the United States in 2020 after serving a 12-year sentence for drug trafficking. He was recently sentenced to 40 years for a double murder in 1999.
Like other illustrious paramilitaries such as Salvatore Mancuso, ‘Jorge 40’ also joined former President Alvaro Uribe’s demobilization policy, acknowledging his participation in more than 1,400 crimes, including 300 massacres, for which he will now have to answer if he does not manage to grab hold of the JEP.
