Colombian President Gustavo Petro endorsed the pursuit of truth regarding the conflicts in the country but denounced sectors seeking to undermine constitutional order. He expressed his support for the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) and the hearing involving Salvatore Mancuso, a former paramilitary leader.
Petro invited other leaders of the demobilized United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) to bring the peace process to a close. He warned about the dangers of achieving peace and ending impunity, as these efforts face attacks while aiming for social justice and democracy. He accused right-wing sectors with ties to drug trafficking and paramilitarism of fearing the exposure of impunity and conspiring against institutional integrity.
Petro questioned why there are attempts to stage a coup and why they are terrified of ending impunity. He stated that the truth frightens those who conceal corruption and the violence unleashed upon the people. During the hearing, Mancuso revealed the coordination between paramilitaries and the Armed Forces, as well as the existence of mass graves in Venezuela.
He denounced the involvement of senior officers in strategic operations and mentioned a mining company in the Catatumbo region. He also claimed that the AUC coordinated the demobilization of the People’s Liberation Army. Mancuso’s revelations highlight the close relationship between armed actors and political and economic elites.