Valdivieso, Alfonso

Valdivieso, Alfonso
▪ 1996

      For two decades life in Colombia had been carried out in the ever-present shadow of the violence and corruption engendered by narcotics trafficking. The infamous Medellín and Cali drug cartels exerted their influence over every element of society, corrupting individuals and institutions alike through a combination of bribery and threats. No area seemed secure from the malignant power of the drug lords, so it was perhaps no great surprise when in 1995 revelations emerged that the 1994 election of Pres. Ernesto Samper Pizano had been aided by money funneled to him from the Cali cartel. What was surprising were the efforts of the nation's top prosecutor, Attorney General Alfonso Valdivieso, in uncovering the scandal and the courage and determination he showed in bringing charges against some of the most powerful men in the country despite the threat of assassination.

      In 1994 a tape recording of a telephone conversation between members of the Cali cartel discussing financial contributions to Samper's election coffers was made public. Samper and his defense minister and former campaign manager, Fernando Botero Zea, admitted that financial support had been offered, but they denied that any money had been received. On June 21, 1995, however, following a government crackdown on narcotics traffickers, the fugitive Cali leaders announced that they had information linking the government to the cartel. The next day Valdivieso announced that his office was beginning a large-scale investigation.

      By August, Valdivieso's investigation had implicated members of Samper's administration. Santiago Medina, the former campaign treasurer of Samper's Liberal Party, had admitted receiving about $6 million from the Cali cartel. Following his arrest in July, Medina had implicated Botero and Samper himself in the conspiracy, claiming that they had authorized him to accept money from the cartel and that the funds were kept in a secret bank account in New York City. Following Medina's revelations, Valdivieso focused his investigation on Samper's administration, authorizing the Supreme Court to review the evidence against Botero, who then resigned from his office.

      Samper continued to deny his involvement in the scandal, but to many his protestations seemed suspect. He previously had asserted that his administration was innocent of any wrongdoing; he now claimed that he had no personal knowledge of any drug money being accepted. By year's end Botero had been charged with illicit enrichment and falsification of documents, while a congressional committee halted the investigation of Samper on drug charges, which could have led to his impeachment. Valdivieso's actions were viewed as a courageous step in a nation where official corruption and narcotics trafficking had long been accepted as a fact of life. (JOHN H. MATHEWS)

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужен реферат?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Alfonso Valdivieso — Sarmiento 2° Fiscal General de la Nación …   Wikipedia Español

  • Alfonso Gómez Méndez — 3° Fiscal General de la Nación 1997 – 2001 Predecesor Alfonso Valdivi …   Wikipedia Español

  • Alfonso Grosso Sánchez — Para el escritor del mismo nombre, ver Alfonso Grosso Ramos) Alfonso Grosso Sánchez (Sevilla, 1 de septiembre de 1893 – Sevilla, 12 de diciembre de 1983 fue un pintor español. Biografía Se formó en la Escuela de Bellas Artes de Sevilla, siendo… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Miguel Valdivieso — (Cartagena, 1893 1966) fue un poeta español perteneciente a la Generación del 27. Biografía Funcionario de Correos, entre 1920 y 1939 residió en Murcia, donde estuvo relacionado con el grupo de la revista Verso y Prosa. Tras la Guerra Civil,… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Juan Alfonso Valle — Pas d image ? Cliquez ici. Biographie Nationalité …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Maru Valdivieso — (n. 3 de mayo de 1964) (47 años), actriz española. Ha estudiado Arte Dramático con Cristina Rota, Dina Roth y Concha Doñaque, y también comenzó la carrera de Derecho. En cine destaca su trabajo en la película Los amantes del Círculo Polar (1998) …   Wikipedia Español

  • Athletic Club — Nombre completo Athletic Club[1] …   Wikipedia Español

  • Historia del Athletic Club — El Athletic Club, comúnmente llamado Athletic de Bilbao, es un club de fútbol español de la villa de Bilbao, en Vizcaya. Fue fundado en 1898 y juega en la Primera División de España. Es, junto con el F. C. Barcelona y Real Madrid, uno de los tres …   Wikipedia Español

  • Colombia — Colombian, adj., n. /keuh lum bee euh/; Sp. /kaw lawm byah/, n. a republic in NW South America. 37,418,290; 439,828 sq. mi. (1,139,155 sq. km). Cap.: Bogotá. * * * Colombia Introduction Colombia Background: Colombia was one of the three countries …   Universalium

  • Khalid bin Mahfouz — Born December 26, 1949(1949 12 26) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Died August 16, 2009(2009 08 16) (aged 59) Jeddah, Saudi Arabia Residence …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”