Paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso claims AUC influenced presidential election

Extradited paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso had his first virtual audience of Justice and Peace trials from his prison in Washington yesterday. During his statement he said that the AUC influenced the presidential election, but then turned back from going deeper into the issue and did not clear which election he was talking about. He confirmed that the Colombian politicians that signed the sadly famous Railito pact were aware of the implications of those meeting with that subversive group, and signed without being pressured in any way. He once again involved former General Rito Alejo del Rio with the paramilitaries and accepted having met the military leader twice while he was the commander of the Armed Forces XVII Brigade in Uraba, north of Colombia.