On Tuesday night, President Gustavo Petro ordered a forensic examination of the emails and chats of the Calarcá alias, which allegedly prove his links to senior officials of the Army and the National Directorate of Intelligence (DNI). An investigation by Noticias Caracol revealed over the weekend exchanges of messages between the head of one of the FARC’s two main dissidents, General Juan Miguel Huertas, and a director of the DNI, Wilmar Mejía. The revelation shocked the country and undermined the policy of total peace promoted by the president, who is now trying to demonstrate that his government has no links to criminal groups.
“We have decided that, hopefully, a computer forensic examination will be carried out on the chats that the Dijín (of the Police) handed over to the Antioquia Prosecutor’s Office. I will make decisions based on this,” Petro said during a Cabinet meeting broadcast on public television. During the meeting with his cabinet, he assured that “on the Caracol issue” he has “many doubts”.
His statements imply a change of position, as on Monday he categorically labeled journalistic information as “false”. “Caracol has already made several “mistakes” of this magnitude, and in some they have corrected. They always have the same source of a journalist who they considered very serious. The journalist’s source is the CIA, which has the habit of creating networks to influence public opinion according to the interests of their country’s government around the world. It is a way of showing off power,” the president said in an X publication.
The television investigation, which aired on Sunday evening, reveals that the armed group responding to Calarcá obtained confidential information to avoid operations by the Military Forces and received support to carry out safe movements in the disputed territories. A dissident commander told the media, without his identity, that he had obtained data preventing them from armed clashes with the authorities “with several people from military bases, police stations and battalions”. The negotiating table with the General Staff of the Blocs and the Front, the dissident faction led by Calarcá, is still standing, despite the war they are having with the authorities. In August, men from one of the groups affiliated with that umbrella killed 13 police officers when they shot down a drug helicopter.
In the eye of the storm is General Huertas, head of the Army Personnel Command, responsible for appointments, retirements and transfers, since last August. Although the man in uniform rejected the complaints as a “malicious fabrication” aimed at damaging his honor, the Army launched an internal investigation and disciplinary action to clarify the role of the general, whom Petro recovered from active duty, in the alleged plan to benefit the Calarcá group.
The other person of interest is Wilmar Mejía, director of Strategic Intelligence at the DNI. In an interview this Wednesday on W Radio, the president’s delegate to the Superior Council of the University of Antioquia suggested that there is a “systematic plan of disinformation and attacks” against the entire “intelligence community.” Regarding Petro’s request to open a forensic investigation, the intelligence leader noted that the president has “the freedom to defend his aides and his government.” “I agree with him in his latest assessment, I believe that justice must act and thoroughly investigate what is happening,” he added.
Despite the accusations against Huertas and Mejía, the Executive has ruled out removing them from their positions. The Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez, confirmed that the general will remain in the Military Forces until “it is proven that he is guilty in the investigations that will be conducted”. Meanwhile, Jorge Lemus, director of the DNI, denied that the institution under his command was aware of Mejía’s alleged ties to Calarcá and presumed the “innocence” of his collaborator. The Prosecutor’s Office has already opened an investigation for “possible co-optation” and the Prosecutor’s Office is studying the provisional suspension of both agents.
