by René Lavanchy
UNITED STATES government officials were “not satisfied” that Colombian President Alvaro Uribe did not have links to drugs barons in the recent past, a former American ambassador to Colombia has said.
Myles Frechette revealed that he confronted Mr Uribe several times over allegations in a US intelligence report that he had worked for his local cartel and was close to Pablo Escobar, one of Colombia’s biggest and bloodiest drugs barons.
His comments have brought back to light long-standing allegations against Mr Uribe, which, when repeated by Colombians, have resulted in them receiving death threats.
Mr Frechette said that in 1996 he sought a meeting with Mr Uribe, then governor of the department of Antioquia.
He asked the future president about the contents of a 1991 report by the Defence Intelligence Agency, which described him as a “close personal friend” of Pablo Escobar, who ordered the murder of hundreds of opponents before his own death in 1993.
“He said it wasn’t like that,” Mr Frechette told the newspaper El Nuevo Herald, “but very calmly. He has a way with those glasses he has of looking at someone and saying no.”
He also asked Mr Uribe about his time as director of Colombia’s civil aviation agency, when he had appointed businessman Cesar Villegas. Mr Villegas, later arrested on corruption charges, was known to have granted flying licences to a large number of drug traffickers.
Mr Uribe denied any knowledge of the drugs links. Mr Frechette commented: “Everyone knew what Villegas was doing and him too, and I wasn’t satisfied with that.” He communicated his doubts to the US State Department.
Last week a Colombian government spokesperson said President Uribe – who has built his reputation on fighting guerillas and cocaine trafficking – had repeatedly denied any link between himself and the drugs trade.
