Extradition

Colombia has extradited a paramilitary warlord to the United States of America to stand trial for drug trafficking, money laundering and financing terrorism. CTV is reporting that Carlos Mario Jiminez has been flown to Miami after losing certain protections and benefits that had been arranged in exchange for judicial cooperation. As leader of an extreme right wing paramilitary organization Jiminez is responsible for thousands of deaths and the theft of enormous tracts of land.

Many of the victims of the paramilitary forces are protesting the extradition, fearing that once delivered into American custody they will never learn the whereabouts of their family's remains or be able to secure restitution. They also fear that many of the organization's underlings, not already named, would escape prosecution. Not surprisingly, the Americans have frozen Jiminez' assets in the U.S. which goes to fuel the fear that the victims and their families will never be compensated. Given the enormous sums of money to be made in the cocaine business, Jiminez and his like are almost instantly being replaced by a new crop of violent drug kingpins.

One positive note is that the American government seems willing to prosecute the private paramilitary organizations for their crimes. How long will it be before Blackwater's Erik Prince and his mercenary organization stand trial for the crimes they have committed against the people of Iraq? Crickets anyone.