The JEP has summoned Juan Carlos Meneses Quintero to appear as a witness. Meneses, who served in the Antioquia Police Department from August 1992 to November 1994, was commander of Police District No. 7 in Yarumal, Antioquia. During his tenure, according to the JEP, «he had a deep understanding of the dynamics of the conflict in the region and was a crucial ally of the paramilitary group known as the Twelve Apostles.» Meneses has a legal history that includes a murder conviction and an investigation for possible links to paramilitary groups. He is also considered a key witness in the case against Santiago Uribe, brother of former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, in relation to the activities of «The Twelve Apostles.»
DISSATISFACTION WITH THE DEFENSE
The group ‘The Twelve Apostles’, with which Meneses Quintero is allegedly associated, has been accused of multiple human rights violations in Antioquia. This paramilitary group, which had the support of some members of the public force, is accused of perpetrating selective murders, massacres and other serious crimes during the most critical years of the armed conflict. In June of this year, the retired major presented a document with his version of the events. Meneses stated that, during that period, bribes were received to ignore the crimes committed by ‘The Twelve Apostles’.
