BOGOTA, Colombia — A battle is brewing between Colombia’s chief prosecutor and what was recently the nation’s largest rebel group over just how much money and property it owns as the former guerrilla group makes the transition into a political party.
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia submitted a list of belongings that included farms, cattle and items as minuscule as mops and juice squeezers as required under a peace agreement earlier this month.
But chief prosecutor Nestor Martinez and other government officials are questioning their accounting, claiming that the nascent political party failed to properly identify what lands it owns and calling many of the claimed assets “irrelevant.”
The former guerrillas stood by their reported assets on Friday, claiming a total war chest valued at $326 million — a list they said is exhaustive and fully complies with the accords. The ex-rebel leaders said Martinez’s response is symptomatic of a broader attempt to distract the public from state corruption and derail the launch of their political party.
“All of this is an attempt to create a smoke screen,” said the ex-rebel leader known by the alias Pastor Alape.
Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia signed an agreement last year to end to the five-decade-long conflict that caused at least 250,000 deaths, left 60,000 people missing and displaced more than 7 million people. About 7,000 guerrillas have handed over their weapons and are beginning to transition into life as civilians as the group finds its voice as a political actor.
As part of the accord, the assets of the former rebel group will be transferred into a fund to provide reparations to victims. Failing to provide a full inventory could result in criminal charges for money laundering outside the terms provided to guerrillas under the agreement. Government authorities signed an expedited decree Thursday creating a commission to verify the ex-rebels’ list of war spoils.
“The assets that have not been included in the inventory and are discovered will lead to an obligatory penalty,” Minister of Justice Enrique Gil said.