Colombian President Alvaro Uribe urged judicial officials on Tuesday to approve the extradition of a former paramilitary chief to the United States.
Carlos Mario Jimenez, better known by his alias "Macaco," is wanted by the United States on charges of drug trafficking, money laundering and financing terrorist groups.
"The extradition will not affect the victims' human rights. Instead, it will serve as an instrument to press to comply with them," said Uribe.
Jimenez's extradition was authorized by Uribe on April 2 before a Colombian court temporarily blocked it while it decided whether he should complete his sentence in Colombia.
Families of victims of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC), a right-wing paramilitary group, said the Colombian government wanted to extradite Jimenez to help him avoid paying compensation.
The victims' families demand that the former AUC paramilitary chiefs should indemnify them, return the lands they stole and serve prison sentences for murders and assassinations they committed.
"I ask justice to help us with this reflection," said Uribe.
The AUC was allegedly fighting guerrilla wars and responsible for assassinating hundreds of social leaders and landowners.
On Tuesday, Colombia's Prosecutor General ordered the arrest of Mario Uribe, President Uribe's cousin, for alleged ties with the country's paramilitary groups.
The Prosecution said in a bulletin that former senator Mario Uribe will not be granted bail.
Mario Uribe said hours after the prosecutors' decision that he would turn himself in but later made an about-face by requesting political asylum in Costa Rica's embassy in Colombia. The asylum was denied.
Thirty-two Colombian legislators have been detained due to their alleged ties with AUC paramilitaries.
Source:Xinhua
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