Proceso 8000
Encyclopedia
8,000 Process was the unofficial name of the legal investigation of events surrounding accusations that the Liberal
candidate Ernesto Samper
's 1994 campaign for President of Colombia
was partially funded with drug money. "8,000 Process" or "Procedure 8,000" was the case number issued by the Prosecutor General's Office.
The Process formally ended in the middle-1990s.
Colombian Liberal Party
The Colombian Liberal Party is a center-left party in Colombia that adheres to social democracy and social liberalism.The Party was founded in 1848 and, together with the Colombian Conservative Party, subsequently became one of the two main political forces in the country for over a century.After...
candidate Ernesto Samper
Ernesto Samper
Ernesto Samper Pizano is a Colombian politician. He served as the President of Colombia from August 7, 1994 to August 7, 1998, representing the Liberal Party. He was involved in the 8000 process scandal, which takes its name from the folio number assigned to it by the chief prosecutor's office...
's 1994 campaign for President of Colombia
President of Colombia
The President of Colombia is the head of state and head of government of the Republic of Colombia. The office of president was established upon the ratification of the Constitution of 1819, by the Congress of Angostura, convened in December 1819, when Colombia was part of "la Gran Colombia"...
was partially funded with drug money. "8,000 Process" or "Procedure 8,000" was the case number issued by the Prosecutor General's Office.
The Process formally ended in the middle-1990s.
June 1994
- June 15: Defeated ConservativeColombian Conservative PartyThe Colombian Conservative Party , is a conservative political party in Colombia. The party was unofficially founded by a group of Revolutionary Commoners during the Revolutionary War for Independence from the Spanish Monarchy and later formally established during the Greater Colombia...
candidate Andrés Pastrana claims to have received tape recordings from an unnamed man while he was visiting the city of CaliCalìCalì, also written in English as Cali, is an Italian surname, widespread mainly in the Ionian side of Sicily.For the surname Calì is assumed the origin of the Greek word kalos , or from its Sanskrit root kali, "time."The surname refers to:...
. These tapes, the so called "narco-cassettes", contained hours of discussions between members of the Colombian Liberal PartyColombian Liberal PartyThe Colombian Liberal Party is a center-left party in Colombia that adheres to social democracy and social liberalism.The Party was founded in 1848 and, together with the Colombian Conservative Party, subsequently became one of the two main political forces in the country for over a century.After...
and a man speaking on behalf of the Cali cartelCali CartelThe Cali Cartel was a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around the city of Cali and the Valle del Cauca Department. The Cali Cartel was founded by the Rodríguez Orejuela brothers, Gilberto and Miguel, as well as associate José Santacruz Londoño...
. Many of the conversations were about the contribution of huge amounts of money for the "Samper for President" political campaign, with details of amounts and purposes also discussed.
- June 16: Pastrana meets the President of Colombia, César GaviriaCésar GaviriaCésar Gaviria Trujillo is a Colombian politician and a Latin American statesman. He served as President of Colombia from 1990 to 1994, and Secretary General of the Organization of American States from 1994 until 2004.-Early life:...
, to give him a copy of these recordings.
- June 17: President Gaviria hands the tapes to the Attorney GeneralAttorney General of ColombiaThe Office of the Attorney General of Colombia is the Colombian institution part of the Colombian judicial branch of Government with administrative autonomy designed to prosecute offenders, investigate crimes, review judicial processes and accuse penal law infractions against judges and courts of...
, Gustavo de GreiffGustavo de GreiffGustavo de Greiff Restrepo is a Colombian lawyer, educator and activist, who served as former Attorney General of Colombia and former Colombian Ambassador to Mexico. He is known for being an outspoken critic of the United States' War on Drugs in Colombia, and for being an advocate for drug...
. The same day, Pastrana made public a letter to Samper in which he challenged the latter to renounce his recent electoral victory, if there is proof that drug money supported his campaign.
- June 21: Samper rejects such a proposition, denies allegations of drug money entering his campaign, and requests a formal investigation of the charges.
- June 22: Pastrana releases a statement clarifying how he obtained the narco-cassettes and again demands that Samper promise to resign his position if there is proof of drug money entering his presidential campaign.
- June 24: The Prosecutor General's Office calls some of the people mentioned in the narco-cassettes, who allegedly benefited from this drug money; among these people are former presidential candidate Miguel Maza Márquez (also former General and Director of Colombia's Intelligence Service, DAS), Hernán Beltz Peralta, Álvaro Pava, César Villegas, Santiago Medina (former treasurer of the "Samper for President" campaign), Alberto Giraldo, Carlos Oviedo and Eduardo Mestre.
July 1994
- July 9: Several international news agencies claim the existence of yet another "narco-cassette".
- July 11: The United StatesUnited StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) cancels a scheduled visit to Washington DC by Octavio Vargas and Rosso José SerranoRosso José SerranoRosso josé Serrano Cadena was born on August 30, 1942 in Vélez, Colombia. Head Chief General of the Colombian National Police from 1994 to 2000 during Ernesto Samper's presidency and was one of the masterminds behind the dismantling of the Cali Cartel and Medellín Cartel...
, director and sub-director of Colombia's National PoliceColombian National PoliceThe National Police of Colombia is the national police force of Colombia. Although the National Police is not part of the Military of Colombia , it constitutes along with them the "Public Force" and is also controlled by the Ministry of Defense. They are the largest police force in Colombia...
.
- July 13: The Procuraduria General de la Nacion(Attorney General's Office) states that the narco-cassettes had been edited and manipulated in order to highlight specific conversations. The Attorney General also reveals that a letter signed by the Rodríguez Orejuela brothers (leaders of the Cali CartelCali CartelThe Cali Cartel was a drug cartel based in southern Colombia, around the city of Cali and the Valle del Cauca Department. The Cali Cartel was founded by the Rodríguez Orejuela brothers, Gilberto and Miguel, as well as associate José Santacruz Londoño...
), stated that neither Samper's or Pastrana's campaign had received any money from them.
- July 14:Guillermo Pallomari (a prominent member of the Cali Cartel) is arrested in the city of Cali and admits to having been an accountant for the Rodriguez Orejuela brothers.
- July 15: The US Senate approves a law by which any future aid to Colombia in the fight against drugs is conditioned by a certificate granted yearly by the US President.
- July 26: Alfonso Valdivieso SarmientoAlfonso Valdivieso SarmientoAlfonso Valdivieso Sarmiento is a Colombian lawyer and politician who as the 2nd Attorney General of Colombia brought charges and stood against the administration of Ernesto Samper Pizano during the Proceso 8000. He also served as the 24th Permanent Representative of Colombia to the United Nations...
is named Colombia's new Prosecutor General to succeed de Greiff.
August 1994
- August 7: Ernesto Samper takes office as president
- August 13: Local news media reveal that the Cali Search BlocSearch BlocThe Search Bloc was a Special Operations unit of the National Police of Colombia .-History:...
(a specialized task force of Colombian police dedicated to investigating the Cali Cartel) found a list of people allegedly paid by drug traffickers. This list named local police officers and a former senator, Eduardo Mestre.
- August 16: Prosecutor General de Greiff orders that the case based on the narco-cassettes be suspended due to lack of evidence.
- August 18: Alfonso Valdivieso is appointed Colombia's new Prosecutor General.
- August 19: The Procuraduria supports de Greiff's decision.
September 1994
- September 30: Joe Toft, former DEA director for Colombia, in an interview for local media defines Colombia as a narcodemocracy, and states that Samper's campaign was partially financed by drug money from the Cali Cartel.
December 1994
- December 7: President Samper and the Secretary of Defense, Fernando BoteroFernando Botero ZeaFernando Botero Zea is a Colombian politician who served in several public positions, including as Defense Minister under President Ernesto Samper, for whom he was campaign manager in his presidential run. Botero was elected as a member of the Colombian Congress for the Liberal Party...
(former campaign manager of Samper's presidential campaign), publicly reprimand General Camilo Hernando Zúñiga (top general of the Colombian Armed Forces). The reason for this were claims that the Cali Search Bloc had interrupted a party for Miguel Rodríguez OrejuelaMiguel Rodríguez OrejuelaMiguel Angel Rodríguez Orejuela is a Colombian druglord, formerly one of the leaders of the Cali Cartel, based in the city of Cali. He is the younger brother of Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela...
's daughter who was celebrating her first communion.
- December 8: Prosecutor General Valdivieso denies Samper's and Botero's claim.
- December 19: Valdivieso states that he is looking into reopening the case of the narco-cassettes.
January 1995
- January 27: Myles Frechette, United States Ambassador to Colombia, suggests the possibility that President ClintonBill ClintonWilliam Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
will not certify Colombia's effort on the War on DrugsWar on DrugsThe War on Drugs is a campaign of prohibition and foreign military aid and military intervention being undertaken by the United States government, with the assistance of participating countries, intended to both define and reduce the illegal drug trade...
.
- January 30: A report in the local Revista Cambio 16 magazine says that the Cali Cartel had given "Samper for President" T-shirts to several political leaders.
- January 31: Carlos Lleras de la Fuente, the Colombian Ambassador to the Organization of American StatesOrganization of American StatesThe Organization of American States is a regional international organization, headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States...
(OAS), states before the Council of the AmericasCouncil of the AmericasCouncil of the Americas is an American business organization whose goal is promoting free trade, democracy and open markets throughout the Americas. This includes Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean, as well as South America. Its members share a common commitment to economic and social development,...
that "the United States has a vampire complex".
February 1995
- February 14: US Secretary of State Warren ChristopherWarren ChristopherWarren Minor Christopher was an American lawyer, diplomat and politician. During Bill Clinton's first term as President, Christopher served as the 63rd Secretary of State. He also served as Deputy Attorney General in the Lyndon Johnson administration, and as Deputy Secretary of State in the Jimmy...
, states that the attitude of the Colombian government in the fight against drugs is not "completely satisfactory".
March 1995
- March 1: The United States grants Colombia with a conditional certification.
- March 2: The Dallas Morning News publishes an article with testimony of a woman named María. She is an alleged witness of conversations between the Cali Cartel and Samper during the 1989 presidential campaign.
- March 17: Jorge Eliécer Rodríguez Orejuela, the youngest of the Rodríguez Orejuela brothers, is captured in the city of Cali.
- March 28 Newspaper "La Prensa" publishes a list of some 200 army and police officers that apparently received money from the Cali Cartel.
April 1995
- April 4: Misael PastranaMisael Pastrana BorreroMisael Pastrana Borrero , was a Conservative Party politician and President of Colombia from 1970 to 1974, the last presidential period of the National Front. Misael Pastrana became President after a close election campaign against Gen. Gustavo Rojas Pinilla, a former dictator. Mr...
, former president of Colombia and father of the defeated ConservativeColombian Conservative PartyThe Colombian Conservative Party , is a conservative political party in Colombia. The party was unofficially founded by a group of Revolutionary Commoners during the Revolutionary War for Independence from the Spanish Monarchy and later formally established during the Greater Colombia...
candidate, publicly asks that the elected president "swear that he did not receive any money from the drug cartels and that he never knew that his campaign received any such money". "That should be enough". President Samper, in a press conference, asks that he should be accused on the basis of facts and not on the basis of lies and rumors. He states that his life is "an open book".
- April 21: Former senator Eduardo Mestre is arrested in connection with an investigation of illicit money. Prosecutor General Valdivieso requests that the Colombian Supreme Court open an investigation against nine congressmen — Álvaro Benedetti, Jaime Lara, José Guerra de la Espriella, Alberto SantofimioAlberto SantofimioAlberto Santofimio Botero is a Colombian politician member of the Colombian Liberal Party. He has been Minister of Justice, a two-time presidential candidate and a Senator. He was considered to be a sure bet for president in 1982, but he decided to let his boss, Alfonso Lopez Michelsen who had...
, Armando Holguín, Ana de Petchal, Rodrigo Garavito, Yolima Espinosa and María IzquierdoMaría IzquierdoMaría Izquierdo was a Mexican painter. She was born in San Juan de los Lagos in the state of Jalisco; her birth name was María Cenobia Izquierdo Gutiérrez. Her father died when she was five years old and she lived with grandparents afterward in small towns of Aguascalientes, Torreón, and Saltillo...
— for alleged bank transactions from members of the Cali Cartel during the 1994 congressional elections. Additionally, Valdivieso requests that the Supreme Court investigate David Turbay, the Comptroller GeneralComptroller General of ColombiaThe Office of the Comptroller General of the Republic of Colombia is a Colombian independent government institution that acts as the highest form of fiscal control in the country. As such, it has a mission to seek the proper allocation of resources and public funds and contribute to the...
, and orders a reopening of the case against former "Samper for President" campaign treasurer Santiago Medina.
- April 22: The Colombian Liberal PartyColombian Liberal PartyThe Colombian Liberal Party is a center-left party in Colombia that adheres to social democracy and social liberalism.The Party was founded in 1848 and, together with the Colombian Conservative Party, subsequently became one of the two main political forces in the country for over a century.After...
suspends the nine present and former members of congress accused by Valdevieso.
- April 25: The Attorney General's Office sends a document filed under the number "8,000" to the Supreme Court of Justice. This document is in reference to the nine congressional member and two others accused of receiving money from the Cali Cartel.
May 1995
- May 10: Luis Fernando Murcillo surrenders to the police in Bogotá.
- May 25: Journalist Alberto Giraldo (aka "El Loco") surrenders to police authorities.
June 1995
- June 4: The nation's Procurador General, Orlando Vásquez, is called by the Supreme Court to answer questions about allegations of illicit increases in his wealth.
- June 9: Gilberto RodríguezGilberto Rodríguez OrejuelaGilberto José Rodríguez Orejuela is a Colombian druglord, formerly one of the leaders of the Cali Cartel, based in the city of Cali.-Cali Cartel:...
, the Cali Cartel's number one boss is captured. Prosecutor General issues an arrest warrant for the journalist Alberto Giraldo.
- June 13: A priest and former mayor of the city of BarranquillaBarranquillaBarranquilla is an industrial port city and municipality located in northern Colombia, near the Caribbean Sea. The capital of the Atlántico Department, it is the largest industrial city and port in the Colombian Caribbean region with a population of 1,148,506 as of 2005, which makes it Colombia's...
, Bernardo Hoyos says he spoke with members of the Cali Cartel. He claims that he listened to recordings and read documents that implicate a number of politicians with money received from the Cali Cartel. Hoyos also claims that Miguel RodríguezMiguel Rodríguez OrejuelaMiguel Angel Rodríguez Orejuela is a Colombian druglord, formerly one of the leaders of the Cali Cartel, based in the city of Cali. He is the younger brother of Gilberto Rodríguez Orejuela...
wanted to surrender under "appropriate conditions".
- June 20: Henry Loaiza, a.k.a. "El Alacrán", surrenders to police in Bogotá. The Attorney General's Office extends the investigation under the "8,000" process to five more congress people; Francisco José Jattin, Jorge Ramón Elías Nader, Tiberio Villarreal, Álvaro Pava and Gustavo Espinosa.
- June 24: Víctor Patiño, number six in the Cali Cartel organization, surrenders in Bogotá.
- June 27: Fr. Hoyos testifies before the Attorney General's Office about the documents and checks that were allegedly shown to him by Miguel Rodríguez.
July 1995
- July 4: José Santacruz, number three in the Cali Cartel, is captured in Bogotá.
- July 7: Phanor Arizabaleta, fifth man on the Cali Cartel, surrenders to authorities.
- July 17: Santiago Medina testifies to the Attorney General's Office that a check for 40 million pesos (US$32,000 at the time) issued by the Cali Cartel was sent to the Samper campaign's manager in the Valle del Cauca DepartmentValle del Cauca DepartmentValle del Cauca is a department of Colombia. It is in the western side of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean, and it is considered one of the most important departments in the Republic of Colombia. Its capital is Santiago de Cali...
, Jorge Herrera.
- July 20: The former consul of Colombia in Miami, Andrés Talero, testifies before the Prosecutor General's Office about secret documents in Santiago Medina's possession, which could prove links between the "Samper for President" presidential campaign and the Cali Cartel.
- July 21: Jorge Herrera denies Medina's story and states that he was never asked to investigate the origin of the 40 million peso check.
- July 24: Several journalists reveal an alleged payoff list of Miguel Rodríguez. In the list there were the names of several congressmen, political figures and athletes. This list was in a briefcase abandoned when Rodríguez was almost captured during a raid by the Cali Search Bloc.
- July 26: Santiago Medina is imprisoned for having received drug money. He is also charged with lying under oath.
- July 27: In a televised address to the nation, President Samper states that if drug money made its way into his campaign's finances, it happened "behind his back". He requested that the Accusation Commission of the Colombian Chamber of RepresentativesChamber of RepresentativesThere are at several political assemblies known as the Chamber of Representatives. Each one forms the lower house of a bicameral legislature.*French Chamber of Representatives, the lower body of the French Parliament during the Hundred Days...
investigate him.
- July 28: Secretary of Interior Horacio SerpaHoracio SerpaHoracio Serpa Uribe is a Colombian politician and lawyer. Horacio Serpa has run as the Colombian Liberal Party candidate for President of Colombia on three occasions; in 1998, 2002, and 2006...
censors the Under-prosecutor General Adolfo Salamanca, and accused him of giving reserved information to journalists, particularly information related to the so called "8,000 process".
- July 31: In a press conference, the Secretary of Defense Fernando BoteroFernando Botero ZeaFernando Botero Zea is a Colombian politician who served in several public positions, including as Defense Minister under President Ernesto Samper, for whom he was campaign manager in his presidential run. Botero was elected as a member of the Colombian Congress for the Liberal Party...
and the Secretary of Interior Horacio Serpa say that they know parts of Santiago Medina's statements given to the Prosecutor. When asked how they obtained what was supposed to be a reserved document, Botero stated that "the government knows of this information...", only to hesitantly look to Serpa for an answer. Serpa was caught off guard, but rapidly answered, "The government knows of this reserved document ... through an anonymous source!", and quickly added, "because we live in the country of anonymous sources!". According to both men, Medina's statements "turn on a fan with the sole intent of tarnishing the President". Both gave assurances that they would accept responsibility for any wrongdoing during the presidential campaign.
August 1995
- August 1: The Prosecutor General's Office is asked to initiate appropriate inquiries against Botero and Benedetti.
- August 2: Fernando Botero resigns as Secretary of Defense. He states that he did so in order to face accusations made by Santiago Medina. Medina's complete testimony is published. The Prosecutor General's Office initiates an investigations for the apparent release of reserved documents by Fernando Botero.
- August 3: Andrés Talero, announces that his apartment was ransacked. Additionally, warehouses and apartments of key witnesses in the "8,000 process" have been ransacked.
- August 4: The Commission of the House of Representatives officially receives copies of the evidence against President Samper in the "8,000 process".
- August 6: Miguel Rodríguez Orejuela is captured in Cali.
- August 8: The weekly magazine "Semana" reveals a new tape in which President Samper is recorded speaking to Elizabeth Montoya de Sarria, the wife of a convicted drug dealer. In this tape, Samper refers to her as "Monita Retrechera" in what appears to be very friendly terms. In the same issue, Semana reveals that former Secretary of Defense Botero ordered the transfer of Víctor Patiño from a prison near Cali to a prison in Bogotá in an irregular manner.
- August 9: President Samper asks attorney Antonio José Cancino to represent him before the Commission of the House of Representatives.
- August 10: Cancino states before the commission that he possesses irrefutable evidence to vindicate Samper. Former ConservativeColombian Conservative PartyThe Colombian Conservative Party , is a conservative political party in Colombia. The party was unofficially founded by a group of Revolutionary Commoners during the Revolutionary War for Independence from the Spanish Monarchy and later formally established during the Greater Colombia...
candidate Andrés Pastrana states in the news program CM& that different stories about alleged checks from drug lords to his campaign are unfounded and requests 15 minutes of airtime on national TV to present his case.
- August 15: Former Defense Secretary Botero is arrested and he is added to the "8,000 process". During a heated debate of the "8,000 process" in the House of Representatives, Secretary of Interior Serpa makes a strong defense of the President and ferverously states, "Is the President going to quit? Mamola!!" (Colombian slang for "No Way").
- August 17: In a televised address, Andrés Pastrana suggests that the President should take a leave of absence until the investigations are completed.
- August 22: Publicist Mauricio Montejo testifies that journalist Alberto Giraldo delivered to him 300 million pesos (approximately US$ 240,000 at the time) on behalf of the "Samper for President" campaign, as payment for publicity.
- August 24: Jacquin Strouss, Colombia's First lady, testifies before the Prosecutor General's Office.
- August 28: Secretary of Interior Serpa appears before the Prosecutor General's Office to give his version of how the reserved statements made by former campaign treasurer Santiago Medina ended in the government's possession (see the July 31, 1995 entry).
- August 31: The Ethics Committee of the Liberal Party decides to temporarily suspend former Secretary Botero and former campaign treasurer Medina.
September 1995
- September 4: Several news media reveal that Elizabeth Montoya de Sarria (see entry: August 8, 1995) donated 32 million pesos (US$26,000) in cash to the "Samper for President" campaign.
- September 5: The President's defense attorney states that during the presidential campaign, certain individuals illegally benefited themselves by appropriating some of the donated money.
- September 6: Santiago Medina gives further details to the Prosecutor General's Office.
- September 19: The public is informed that former accountant to the Cali Cartel, Guillermo Pallomari, has struck a deal with the DEA and is surrendering to them.
- September 22: In a letter to Santiago Medina, Miguel Rodríguez states that the check for 40 million pesos was in regards to the purchase of some artworks and this money had nothing to do with the campaign.
- September 26: President Samper testifies for nine hours before the President of the Accusation Committee of the House of Representatives, Heine Mogollón. As he leaves, Samper states, "I found myself in a complex and artificial mesh filled with lies". Heine Mogollón admits that he received a loan from Finagro for 19 million pesos to finance his own campaign for representative. The Supreme Court investigates Rodrigo Garavito for allegedly receiving illicit money.
- September 27: The President's attorney, Antonio José Cancino, is shot by unknown assailants in Bogotá. Cancino survives and is treated in the Central Military Hospital. The head director of the DAS (Colombia's Intelligence Service), Ramiro Bejarano, claims that national and foreign organizations are behind this attack. Secretary of Interior Serpa suggests that the idea of the DEA being involved in this attack is not far-fetched.
- September 28: Chancellor Rodrigo Pardo, while on an official visit to the US, quickly repudiates Serpa's comments. The US government emphatically rejects these accusations and holds the Colombian government responsible for the security of its nationals in Colombia. Under Prosecutor General, Adolfo Salamanca, states during an interview to CM& news that the Liberal Party received drug money for its campaign. He adds that it is now time for his office to determine those responsible and directly involved.