The Cali Cartel by Attwood Shaun

Author:Attwood, Shaun
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Non-fiction
Publisher: Gadfly Press
Published: 2017-07-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter 9

Key Players Falling

With the authorities applying increased pressure, the godfathers needed a strategy that would render them untouchable. They decided to put in power the top man in the country. It cost over $6 million to install Ernesto Samper as the president of Colombia. After his victory was announced, Miguel banged his fist on a desk in a celebratory way and yelled that they’d bought a president. Assuming that investigations into the cartel would be dropped, the godfathers were ecstatic.

Having transferred resources to Cali to apprehend the godfathers, the DEA was disheartened by Samper’s victory. It decided to fight back by attempting to topple the president. It wanted Samper replaced by someone more devoted to the War on Drugs. The DEA leaked a recording of a phone call in which Miguel talked about donating over $2 million to the presidential campaign. The scandal culminated with the US government threatening to stop financial aid to Colombia, and the presidential rival demanding a re-election.

The godfathers penned a letter disavowing any contributions. Initially, Samper denied taking hot money. Then his aides admitted accepting it on his behalf. As Samper’s own Liberal Party was in charge of the congressional hearings investigating the scandal, he managed to cling onto the presidency.

Even though Samper had not been toppled, the scandal worked in the DEA’s favour. Hoping to restore his credibility, Samper pledged to go after the traffickers. The DEA waited to see if Samper would follow through or whether his pledge was the usual hyperbole.

In July 1994, the cartel intercepted information that indicated a raid was imminent on the offices of its head accountant, Pallomari, a bespectacled clean-shaven man in a business suit. When notified, Pallomari said there was nothing to worry about because all of his records were in order and the businesses were legitimate. The following day, the lookouts living outside the Search Bloc’s headquarters radioed reports of a raid party emerging. On motorbikes, some of the lookouts followed the convoy as it weaved towards Pallomari’s office. As if in a dream world, Pallomari did not order the evacuation of his offices or the removal of the vast amounts of files pertaining to the godfather’s money-laundering and investments. Even worse, he stayed for the raid. The special forces arrested him, and seized the documents.

While the godfathers arranged to get Pallomari released on bail, he was talking to the authorities. He admitted working for Gilberto and Miguel. Having expected him to keep their names out of it, Gilberto was furious. He said that the authorities had to hit Pallomari to get him to talk, but they also had to hit him again to get him to shut up because he had so much to say. Gilberto wanted him disposed of, but Miguel intervened and promised to keep Pallomari out of sight.

After getting released, Pallomari realised that he had put his own life on the line, and that of his wife and two boys. He signed legal papers stating that he did not work for the godfathers.

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