The document summarizes: 1) A paramilitary leader accused a former governor of Cauca, Juan José Chaux Mosquera, of attending a 2003 paramilitary summit and receiving armed support for his election from paramilitary groups. 2) Despite this accusation and an ongoing investigation, the President appointed Chaux as ambassador to Holland. 3) This follows a pattern of the President appointing individuals accused of paramilitary ties to diplomatic positions, undermining Colombia's international relations and justice system.

1. COMISIÓN COLOMBIANA DE JURISTAS
Organización no gubernamental con estatus consultivo ante la ONU Con el apoyo de:
Filial de la Comisión Internacional de Juristas (Ginebra) y de la Comisión Andina de Juristas (Lima)
PERSONERÍA JURÍDICA: RESOLUCIÓN 1060, AGOSTO DE 1988 DE LA ALCALDÍA MAYOR DE BOGOTÁ
Gobierno de
Canadá
Bulletin No 23: Series on the rights of the victims and the application of Law 975
Presumed “parapolitician” named ambassador in Holland
Paramilitary diplomacy
In December 2007, the national government named as new ambassador in Holland the
outgoing governor of the department of Cauca, Juan José Chaux Mosquera. One month
earlier, the paramilitary leader Éver Veloza García, alias “HH”, declared that Juan José
Chaux had taken part in a “paramilitary summit meeting” in 2003, and that his election
as governor had been achieved through the armed support of the Calima Block of the
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC in Spanish), under the command of alias
“HH.”
According to Veloza, present at the 2003 meeting were the paramilitary bosses Salvatore
Mancuso, Vicente Castaño, Freddy Rendón Herrera, alias “el Alemán,” and Diego
Fernando Murillo Toro, alias “Don Berna.” 1 His declaration was made at “free-version”
judicial proceedings before the National Justice and Peace Unit of the General
Prosecutor‟s Office in the city of Medellín in the period between November 6 and 8,
2007, in the framework of the special criminal procedure under Law 975 of 2005, which
he invoked. Besides confessing having committed multiple crimes against civilians,
including the assassination of some 1,600 persons, in his “free-version” declaration alias
“HH” involved several politicians of the department of Cauca with the paramilitary
groups under his command.
In the face of such serious accusations, the former governor admitted having been present
at the “paramilitary summit” mentioned by Éver Veloza, but tried to justify his presence
arguing that he was interceding on behalf of a relative who had been kidnapped by the
AUC paramilitary group. “That meeting is widely known; its purpose was a
humanitarian concern,” he said, and added: “I did go to Tierralta, in Córdoba, in 2003,
to enquire about the fate of the brother of my sister’s husband, who had been kidnapped,
but unfortunately that person was assassinated by the AUC. It was all limited to that –
nothing else.” 2
*The European Union supported the first phase of this project, between July and December of 2006, during which this
series of information bulletins was begun and the first twelve numbers published, available on the web page. The
present publication has been prepared under the auspices of the Canadian government, and its content is the sole
responsibility of the Colombian Commission of Jurists. In no way should it be thought to reflect the point of view of
the European Union or of the government of Canada.
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Bogotá, Colombia

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The former governor also denied having requested during the meeting the support of the
paramilitaries in his bid for the governorship. He mentioned as well that he attended the
meeting at the request of Miguel de la Espriella, a senator who is presently being
investigated by the Supreme Court for his presumed links with paramilitary groups. 3
The contradictions between the version by the paramilitary Éver Veloza, alias “HH,” and
that of the former governor are evident. That is why the Prosecutor‟s Office announced
the investigation of Juan José Chaux in order to establish the veracity of the
paramilitary‟s declaration. In this regard, the General Prosecutor, Mario Iguarán,
declared the following: “In the face of the declarations made by the paramilitary leader
Éver Veloza, alias H.H., we have proceeded to carry out certain verifications and can tell
you in juridical-procedural terms that we are at the phase of preliminary investigation to
verify the strength or the grounds of this gentleman’s declarations.”4
After the accusations made by the paramilitary Éver Veloza, and the announcement by
the Prosecutor‟s Office about having opened a preliminary investigation as a result of
those declarations, the President decided to appoint Juan José Chaux Colombian
ambassador in Holland. This is an extremely worrying fact, and Colombian justice must
shed light as soon as possible on the serious accusations against the former governor. It
is the duty of the President to abstain from naming as his representatives persons who
have been accused of belonging to, or giving support to, paramilitarism; especially when,
as in this case, they are entrusted with the responsibility of conducting international
relations.
It is not the first time that such a thing happens. Indeed, the President also appointed as
his ambassador in Chile in 2003 the former governor of Sucre, Salvador Arana, today
fugitive from justice and being investigated for paramilitarism. Likewise, the President
named as Consul in Milan, in 2005, the former director of the intelligence office of the
Presidency (Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad -DAS), Jorge Noguera, today
indicted by the Prosecutor‟s Office, also for charges of paramilitarism and homicide of
union leaders. Recently, on January 8, 2008, the President appointed Benito Osorio as
interim governor of Córdoba, who 17 days later resigned after a news magazine revealed
his close links with the paramilitary leader Salvatore Mancuso. And there is a long list of
similar examples. 5
The present publication has been produced with the support of the European Union and the Government of Canada. Its
contents are the sole responsibility of the Colombian Commission of Jurists. In no way should it be thought to reflect
the point of view of the European Union or of the government of Canada.
1 El Colombiano daily newspaper, “Políticos niegan acusaciones de ex Auc” (Politicians deny accusations
by former AUC member), November 8, 2007, electronic version.
2 El País daily newspaper, “HH prende ventilador contra políticos caucanos” (HH turns on the fan against
politicians from Cauca), November 8, 2007, electronic version..
3 Ibíd.
4 See, in that respect,, “Fiscal confirma investigación contra nuevo embajador en Holanda” (Prosecutor
confirms investigation against new ambassador in Holland), consulted in:http://www.wradio.com.co
Through decisions such as these, the President is compromising the international relations
of the Colombian state and contributing little to carrying out justice and to the
investigative functions of the Prosecutor‟s Office, in contradiction to his duty of

3. 3
“providing judicial officials all the necessary support so they can put into effect their
decisions” (Article 201.1 of the Colombian Constitution), in conformity with the
principle of a harmonious collaboration among the branches of government (Article 113
of the Constitution).
5A sample of this list can be seen in the editorial of the daily El Tiempo, “Y la „parapolítica‟, ahí” (And
parapolitics is still there) , Bogotá, January 22, 2008, pages 1-14.
Bogotá, January 31, 2008
For more information, please contact Gustavo Gallón-Giraldo, Director of the CCJ, at Tel. (571) 376 8200, Ext. 115.