Colombian extremists face murder charge
BOGOTA, Colombia - The fugitive leader of Colombia's right-wing
paramilitary groups and his brother were indicted Wednesday in the 1990
slaying of a leftist presidential candidate. Carlos and Fidel Castano were
accused of ordering the assassination of Bernardo Jaramillo, candidate
of
the Patriotic Union party, composed largely of former guerrillas. The
paramilitary groups are responsible for widespread massacres of civilians
accused of guerrilla ties. About 3,000 Patriotic Union party members have
been killed over the past decade by right-wing death squads - many of
which are believed to be associated with the paramilitary groups, which
have been bankrolled by large landholders and drug traffickers.