Former Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has been subpoenaed by a US federal court to testify about his knowledge of the activities of US coal company Drummond, which allegedly supported right-wing death squads in the Colombian countryside.
The Colombian newspaper La Opinion reports that Terry Collingsworth, the prosecution in the case, believes that Uribe had “direct knowledge of the case, including about the use of soldiers in Colombia to protect Drummond’s mining installations and about links between soldiers and paramilitaries.” The allegations appear aimed less at proving the case and more at the political legacy of Uribe, who enjoys substantial political support for his hard-line stance against the guerrilla insurgency in Colombia. A court in Alabama found an earlier lawsuit against Drummond led by Collingsworth in favor of the company. Drummond has consistently denied all links with paramilitary groups, and paramilitary leaders have given contradictory testimony regarding their dealings with the company.