Colombian President Uribe rejects blackmailing of his son

Caracas, Venezuela, 11 June 2008. Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has rejected the blackmailling of his son, Tomas Uribe, allegedy done by ex MP Yinis Medina. This afrernoon, the Uribe familily stated willingness to confront judicial confirmation of phone calls made by Medina to Tomas Uribe.

The core of the issue lies at allegations made by ex MP Yinis Medina in early April 2008. Medina revealed having been paid to back a constitutional reform in 2005. Furthermore, her vote and another one casted by Teodolindo Avendaño provided a necessary majority to allow President Alvaro Uribe run for a another Presidential term. Her revelation prompted an investigation of the Colombian Supreme Court. It ruled against her behaviour and Medina was put in jail. The other MP involved in the bribery - Teodolind Avendaño is also serving a jail term. In addition, the Colombian Chamber of Representatives initiated an investigation over the legality of Uribe tenure in the Presidential Palace.

In the last few days, there have been exchanges between Ms Medina- who is still in jail- and President Alvaro Uribe. While Medina has issued two communiqués confirming she was lured by Uribe into voting for the constitutional reform in 2005 and have never met Tomas Uribe, President Uribe has accused her of blackmailing through his son; Tomas Uribe was allegedly approached by Medina to proceed with the blackmailing of President Uribe over the disclosure of the constitutional reform bribery.  Furthermore, Uribe stated that Ms Medina had asked for some political assistance in securing contracts with Colombian Oil Company-ECOPETROL- but her request was rejected.

Despite the allegations of Uribe over the three phone calls, there are no tape recordings available. This has posed some questions over the veracity of the Presidential allegations as his phone calls are supposed to be monitored systematically. Their sons have also been involved in other politically motivated scandals such as the Carlos Nader Simmonds- Daniel Coronell saga.

More News to come

Sources: Presidencia de Colombia, Caracaol, El Tiempo, El Espacio, El Nuevo Siglo, El Colombiano, Vanguardia Liberal, Anncol,