Peru: Montesinos faces 30 years on narco charges

Prosecutors in Peru are seeking a 30-year prison term for Vladimiro Montesinos, former intelligence chief under autocratic president and convicted political criminal Alberto Fujimori. At a trial underway at a naval base in Callao where he is being held, special prosecutor for organized crime Ramiro Salinas named Montesinos as chief of a criminal network known as “Los Camellos” (the Camels) that exported massive quantities of cocaine from 1994 to 2000. Salinas charged that Montesinos protected the Camellos’ operations in the Upper Huallaga Valley, a key coca cultivation zone. Montesinos is identified as the criminal boss who went by the aliases “El Fayed,” “El Viejo,” “El Doc,” “Rubén,” “El Hombre,” and “El Mesías.” The network is said to have directly coordinated with Mexico’s Tijuana Cartel. Montesinos is also charged with protecting an auxiliary gang known as “Los Fantasmas” (the Phantoms). (Prensa Latina, Aug. 21)

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  1. Montesinos gets ten years on rights abuses
    The special anti-corruption court hearing the cases against Vladimiro Montesinos sentenced the former intelliegence chief to 10 years in prison for his role in the deadly repression of the July 2000 pro-democracy camapaign known as the Marcha de los 4 Suyos. Receiving six-year sentences were former National Police general Humberto Fernandini Maraví and ten other ex-police commanders. (La Republica, Aug. 28)

    1. Ex General Humberto Fernandini Malavi Innocent
      Having learned of forthcoming trials several years ago.Believe the General at the time as innocent and still do. Why would the General save his beloved city of Lima from certain destruction? after being ordered by his superior General to retreat and then disobeying orders to redeploy his men and staying on the front line with them untill the riots were quelled.Where are the two men that ran out of the crowd and fire bombed the bank killing six people inside? Has anyone from the press talked with the General? There is more to this corruption of justice than meets the eye. If there is anyone of Honor left in Peru other than Ex General Fernandini why not help him. Get the press involved but only if they are reputable if there is any such thing as free press there. At the least the country owe’s him and don’t even know how many billions of dollars he saved them by saving the city. At the very least his countrymen could support him by donating to a legal fund deferring the expense of his lawyers and reparation contact his relatives to help set this up. don’t let a man so bound by honor and the love of his country and above all else his beloved city be punished for saving them from destruction.Shame should be on each head of the person who were in this march, especially the two cowards that fire bombed the bank. Try to take this to the press?

      1. Correct!
        I completely agree with this article. We should take this to the press. I think that the sentence given to that General was unfair and not fully supported. There was not a single evidence presented that linked the General Fernandini to the deaths of these people. When I heard the verdict, it sounded unreal. Fernandini is an honorable man. Everyone that knows him cannot believe that something like this can happen to him and fully support him. This case has been hunting him for the past 10 years. The Peruvian justice(if you can call it justice!!!!)has crossed the line with this verdict.