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Haiti Attacks: Evidence Concerning Veterans

NEW YORK – Colombian President Ivan Duque on Wednesday said there was evidence and testimony seriously related to “practically all” Colombian ex-soldiers being held in Haiti in the assassination of president Jovenel Moise. of that country.

In an interview with the AP news agency, Duque said captured veterans still need to be tried, but that “obviously, based on the testimony of many people,” it is clear that “there is a degree of intimidation.” only” on 7/7. killed Moise, who was assassinated at his home in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince.

More than 40 people have been arrested in Haiti in connection with the killings, including several Haitian policemen, a former Haitian senator and 18 former Colombian soldiers.

Duque has taken a harsher tone than before regarding Colombians detained in Haiti since not long after the murder. Earlier, he said, a small group of recruiters knew what the true intentions of the veterans’ trip to Haiti were and they misrepresented the mission’s objective to veterans.

The president told the AP on Wednesday that he never said the veterans had been duped.

“I always said that an investigation needed to be done, and the investigation was done, and in fact the Colombian police contributed,” he said. “And in fact, one of the fugitives from Haiti, who was later arrested, spoke of the extent of involvement.”

Duque seems to be alluding to Mario Antonio Jose Palacios, identified as one of the prime suspects in Moise’s murder. He is incarcerated in Florida. Allegedly, Palacios spoke voluntarily and said he was hired to Haiti to provide security and participate in an operation purported to arrest the president.

Families of veterans have complained that detainees cannot defend themselves in Haiti and do not have lawyers.

In July, Duque said that “within the group (of former soldiers) there are people who have received different instructions.” Even so, the president pointed out that “regardless of one’s level of knowledge”, it is clear that the entire group was involved in the assassination.

That same month, he also told a radio station that “everything shows that a large group of people arriving in Haiti were blindfolded, made for a supposed protection mission, while others, a small group, with detailed knowledge of criminal activity and intent to kill the president of Haiti.”

On Wednesday, Duque said Colombia was having its hands tied during the trial in Haiti.

“We could try to work diplomatically to make sure that the trial goes ahead and that they qualify as prisoners at least. But beyond that, Colombia can’t act, because there’s clearly a There are some details. There are some allegations. There are some testimonies,” the president said.

Duque, a conservative was unable to run for re-election in the May 29 presidential election in Colombia. also talks about the socialist government of President Nicolas Maduro in neighboring Venezuela.

In 2019, Duque said that Maduro’s government had “just a few hours left.” On Wednesday, he acknowledged receiving criticism for making that comment.

“Maybe, if you look at it with insight, maybe if I looked at it with a sense of self-criticism, I would say, well, I shouldn’t have done that,” Duque said. “But what I can clearly say is, thank God we spoke up. Thank God more than 50 countries rejected that dictatorship.”

“Many people say, good, but then you will end your government in August and Maduro will continue to be the dictator of Venezuela. Maybe. But I will not stop working a day in my life for my own sake. because Venezuela’s freedom is also Colombia’s defense,” Duque added.

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