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Fabio Ochoa’s Return to Colombia Sparks Outcry Among Victims of the Medellín Cartel

The recent deportation of former drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa from the United States back to Colombia has reignited deep-seated anguish among survivors of the Medellín cartel’s violent past. Many are expressing their discontent with Colombian authorities for allowing Ochoa, a significant figure during the cartel’s reign, to return without immediate legal repercussions.

Victims of the cartel’s atrocities are calling on Ochoa to assist ongoing investigations spearheaded by human rights organizations into one of Colombia’s most brutal periods. They urge Colombian prosecutors to summon Ochoa for questioning about his alleged role in a series of violent crimes that marked the height of the cartel’s operations.

During the late 1980s and early 1990s, the Medellín cartel was responsible for a staggering number of murders, targeting not just rival drug traffickers but also police officers, politicians, judges, and journalists. Historical accounts attribute upwards of 10,000 deaths to the activities of the cartel, with its infamous leader, Pablo Escobar, orchestrating much of the violence.

Ochoa, who played a pivotal role in the cartel, managed a cocaine distribution center in Miami for several years. He has consistently denied involvement in the cartel’s killings, a statement met with skepticism by many who were affected by the cartel’s brutality.

Among those deeply impacted is Bogotá’s mayor, Carlos Fernando Galán, whose father, presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galán, was assassinated in 1989 when Carlos was just 12 years old. Taking to social media, Galán labeled Ochoa’s lack of legal charges as “unacceptable.”

His brother, Juan Manuel Galán, further amplified this sentiment, noting that many of the Medellín cartel’s crimes remain unpunished. On social media, he expressed a collective desire among victims to uncover the truth regarding Ochoa’s involvement and to hold him and his associates accountable for their heinous acts, including kidnappings and widespread terrorization.

Having served over 20 years in a U.S. prison for drug trafficking, Ochoa returned to Colombia on a recent Monday. Colombian immigration officials confirmed Ochoa’s status, noting that he was not wanted by local authorities, which allowed him to walk free without facing immediate charges.

Upon arrival, Ochoa suggested that U.S. prosecutors had unjustly targeted him and emphasized that he had already faced consequences for his actions, having previously served time in a Colombian prison in the 1990s.

His history with the cartel extends beyond mere drug trafficking. Gonzalo Enrique Rojas, who lost his father in a devastating cartel attack that downed a commercial plane in 1989, now advocates for victims through his organization. Rojas believes that Ochoa’s presence in Colombia offers a critical opportunity for truth and accountability regarding the airline tragedy, stressing the need for interrogation into the motives behind such attacks and the cartel’s connections with government officials.

Rojas’s foundation, Colombia with Memory, aims to facilitate a dialogue with Ochoa to extract crucial information regarding the cartel’s past crimes. He articulated the sentiment of many victims by stating that justice and truth are vital to healing from the pains inflicted by the Medellín cartel.

Source
www.theguardian.com