From Venezuela, former congresswoman Aída Merlano, who had been a fugitive from Colombian justice for three years, was deported after escaping from Inpec custody at a dental appointment in October 2019.
The news of Merlano’s transfer to Colombia was announced by his lawyer Miguel Ángel del Río, through his Twitter account, and was confirmed by the Colombian Foreign Ministry.
By the same means, the representative of the Atlantic policy asked the Ministry of Justice that his client be detained in Bogotá.
“I respectfully request all the authorities that the detention space for Mrs. Aída Merlano be in Bogotá. Any other city would generate a danger against her personal integrity, ”the criminal lawyer trilled.
Minutes after Miguel Ángel del Río’s request, the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (Inpec) assured that former congresswoman Aída Merlano will be transferred to the El Buen Pastor prison in Bogotá. The Inpec operation is made up of more than 10 vehicles that will escort her to the Bogotá jail.
The security caravan is made up of buses, trucks and motorcycles from the public force that arrived at the Military Transport Air Command (Catam), the Air Force military base, to carry out the transfer of Merlano.
When asked by the media about the issues that Aída Merlano is going to discuss with the country’s justice, her lawyer assured that: “today there was an earthquake in Colombia and there must be some important aftershocks on the Caribbean coast.”
And then added:
“There will be talk about the political houses in the Caribbean, the Char house, the Gerlein house and all the vote buyers who obviously have a responsibility and there are other bandits on the coast for whom they will have to answer,” said the defender of the extradited .
It should be remembered that Aída Merlano has two pending processes with the Supreme Court of Justice for fraud against the voters and conspiracy to commit a crime, in addition, one outside the high court for prisoner escape.
The last appearance of the former congresswoman was on January 19 of this year, still a refugee in Venezuela and acting as a witness, testifying against businessman Julio Gerlein for irregularities in his political campaign.
At that hearing, Aída Merlano turned on the fan by declaring various irregularities by Gerlein and the Char clan, who allegedly had transferred large sums of money for his campaign and the purchase of votes to become a congressman of the Republic for the 2018 term. – 2022.
At the end of that procedure, the former senator asked Gustavo Petro to immediately request his extradition to Colombia, because he wants to collaborate with justice. “I do want to face justice and assume all the legal processes that I have in progress,” he said, from Caracas, who is currently in prison in Colombia.
With this panorama, Merlano returns to Buen Pastor where he was serving a 15-year sentence for buying votes, before his escape. For the escape of the accused, in 2019, the former Inpec captain, David Alexander Álvarez Cárdenas, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, who was also found guilty of the crimes of favoring escape and prevarication by action.
The extradition of Aída Merlano was reactivated on February 9, 2023 by the Government of Gustavo Petro. The same day that the Minister of Justice, Néstor Osuna, confirmed this decision.
“The procedure is reactivated and in due course there will be a resolution that depends mainly on the Venezuelan state, if it grants or denies it. Now that diplomatic relations with the country have been reactivated, we have started the process again,” the minister said at the time.
Aída Merlano must be detained in Bogotá for security reasons, her lawyer said
From Venezuela, former congresswoman Aída Merlano, who had been a fugitive from Colombian justice for three years, was deported after escaping from Inpec custody at a dental appointment in October 2019.
The former congresswoman arrived in Bogotá, after being extradited from Venezuela. Courtesy.
The news of Merlano’s transfer to Colombia was announced by his lawyer Miguel Ángel del Río, through his Twitter account, and was confirmed by the Colombian Foreign Ministry.
By the same means, the representative of the Atlantic policy asked the Ministry of Justice that his client be detained in Bogotá.
“I respectfully request all the authorities that the detention space for Mrs. Aída Merlano be in Bogotá. Any other city would generate a danger against her personal integrity, ”the criminal lawyer trilled.
Minutes after Miguel Ángel del Río’s request, the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (Inpec) assured that former congresswoman Aída Merlano will be transferred to the El Buen Pastor prison in Bogotá. The Inpec operation is made up of more than 10 vehicles that will escort her to the Bogotá jail.
It may interest you: Aida Merlano assured that she decided to return to Colombia because she already has enough evidence to defend herself
The security caravan is made up of buses, trucks and motorcycles from the public force that arrived at the Military Transport Air Command (Catam), the Air Force military base, to carry out the transfer of Merlano.
When asked by the media about the issues that Aída Merlano is going to discuss with the country’s justice, her lawyer assured that: “today there was an earthquake in Colombia and there must be some important aftershocks on the Caribbean coast.”
And then added:
“There will be talk about the political houses in the Caribbean, the Char house, the Gerlein house and all the vote buyers who obviously have a responsibility and there are other bandits on the coast for whom they will have to answer,” said the defender of the extradited .
It should be remembered that Aída Merlano has two pending processes with the Supreme Court of Justice for fraud against the voters and conspiracy to commit a crime, in addition, one outside the high court for prisoner escape.
It may interest you: Aída Merlano will have procedural guarantees and will be treated with dignity, assured the Ministry of Justice
The last appearance of the former congresswoman was on January 19 of this year, still a refugee in Venezuela and acting as a witness, testifying against businessman Julio Gerlein for irregularities in his political campaign.
At that hearing, Aída Merlano turned on the fan by declaring various irregularities by Gerlein and the Char clan, who allegedly had transferred large sums of money for his campaign and the purchase of votes to become a congressman of the Republic for the 2018 term. – 2022.
At the end of that procedure, the former senator asked Gustavo Petro to immediately request his extradition to Colombia, because he wants to collaborate with justice. “I do want to face justice and assume all the legal processes that I have in progress,” he said, from Caracas, who is currently in prison in Colombia.
With this panorama, Merlano returns to Buen Pastor where he was serving a 15-year sentence for buying votes, before his escape. For the escape of the accused, in 2019, the former Inpec captain, David Alexander Álvarez Cárdenas, was sentenced to 15 years in prison, who was also found guilty of the crimes of favoring escape and prevarication by action.
The extradition of Aída Merlano was reactivated on February 9, 2023 by the Government of Gustavo Petro. The same day that the Minister of Justice, Néstor Osuna, confirmed this decision.
“The procedure is reactivated and in due course there will be a resolution that depends mainly on the Venezuelan state, if it grants or denies it. Now that diplomatic relations with the country have been reactivated, we have started the process again,” the minister said at the time. with Infobae