The mayor of a northern town was charged Friday with ordering the murder of a radio journalist who often accused him of being corrupt and having links to outlawed paramilitary groups. The attorney general’s office also issued an arrest warrant for Julio Cesar Ardila, the mayor of Barrancabermeja, a town 165 miles north of Bogota that is home to the nation’s largest oil refinery. The bullet-riddled body of Juan Emeterio Rivas and the body of an engineering student were found in April in a rural area outside Barrancabermeja. Rivas was known for his controversial radio programs but his station was closed earlier this year. Three other officials from city hall were detained for their alleged roles in the killing, said a spokesperson from the attorney general’s office. Authorities accuse three paramilitary fighters from the Central Bolivar Bloc of carrying out the killing. Full Story
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