A New York court sentenced Cliver Alcala, a former Venezuelan general, to 21 years and eight months in prison. This sentence came after Alcala’s guilty plea last June on charges of providing material support to a terrorist group and illicit transfer of firearms. The case centered around his support for the FARC, a group that has been involved in a long-standing conflict with the Colombian government.
Alcala, who had close ties with Venezuela’s late President Hugo Chavez, denied involvement in narcotics smuggling, despite facing charges related to cocaine trafficking into the United States. His defense argued that Alcala had previously engaged with CIA agents to plan a revolt against the current Venezuelan President, Nicolas Maduro, which they claimed would negate any conspiracy with Maduro. Prosecutors, however, suggested a 30-year sentence, citing Alcala’s role in protecting FARC’s cocaine shipments and supplying the group with advanced weaponry.
🇨🇴 Member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) pic.twitter.com/P4dLOjERYr
— Sinnaig (@Sinnaig) April 19, 2023
The defense claimed that Alcala’s support for the FARC was under orders from Chavez, distancing him from narcotics activities. They requested a reduced sentence of no more than six years. Alcala was extradited from Colombia in 2020, where he had been living after a fallout with Maduro’s government following Chavez’s death in 2013.
This sentencing follows the conviction of another Venezuelan, Carlos Orense, on drug trafficking and weapons charges in December, linked to testimony implicating Alcala and others in cocaine trafficking to the United States.
The FARC has a history of operating within Venezuela, benefiting from leniency under Chavez’s government, which provided a sanctuary from Colombian forces and facilitated their criminal operations, including narcotics and illegal mining. The group, formed during Colombia’s La Violencia period, has been a key player in the country’s internal conflict, originally aimed at instigating a class revolution.
#Colombia 🇨🇴: “Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia – People’s Army” (#FARC-EP) released a new video on Sept 24.
Fighters appear to be armed with Barrett M82A1 anti-materiel rifles, M60E3 & M60E4 machine guns, Galil AR rifles (5.56x45mm & 7.62x51mm) and a PSA AK-103 rifle. pic.twitter.com/yBv9xswqKp
— War Noir (@war_noir) September 27, 2022
Despite a historic peace deal in 2016 leading to its official disbandment, the FARC’s influence persists through dissident groups like the Estado Mayor Central (EMC) faction. Venezuela continues to serve as a critical base for these groups, supporting their activities against the Colombian government.
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