Salvatore Mancuso, also known as “El Mono” or “Santander Lozada,” used to be a commander in a Colombian paramilitary group called Peasant Self Defence Forces of Córdoba and Urabá (Autodefensas Campesinas de Córdoba y Urabá – ACCU) and United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia – ) AUCIn February 2024, after spending over 15 years in the United States for drug trafficking, he came back to Colombia and was chosen as a peace manager as part of President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” initiative.
History
Salvatore Mancuso Gómez was born on August 17, 1964, in Montería, a city in the department of Córdoba in northern Colombia. He was born to an Italian father and a Colombian mother and studied civil engineering and agricultural administration at university.
In the early 1990s, Mancuso took charge of several cattle ranches and was extorted by the Popular Liberation Army (Ejército Popular de Liberación – ) a guerrilla movement. As a result, he began working as an informant for the Colombian army in the department of Códoba to support their fight against the EPL. EPLHis collaboration with the army became known to brothers Carlos and Vincente Castaño, the main leaders of the ACCU, a paramilitary movement aiming to counter the expansion of the guerrillas in that part of Colombia. Mancuso joined the ACCU in 1994, initially responsible for connecting with local and regional politicians.
In 1995, he established the Nuevo Horizonte Surveillance and Security Cooperative in the municipality of Tierralta, Córdoba. The legal permission for the Cooperative came from a 1994 decree by the Colombian government, which allowed the formation of civilian groups to cooperate with military forces in security and public order matters. Through the Nuevo Horizonte Cooperative and other cooperatives founded by ACCU members, the paramilitaries were able to access weapons and resources, and reinforce their political and military networks.
Starting in 1996, Mancuso led the ACCU’s expansion into northern Colombia, particularly in the departments of Sucre, Bolívar, Cesar, Magdalena, La Guajira, and Atlántico. To achieve this, he formed alliances with political, economic, and military elites, enabling the paramilitaries to enter these areas. able On 1997, the Castaño brothers created the AUC, a federation of different self-defense movements with a presence in various parts of Colombia. Mancuso became a member of what was known as the AUC General Staff, and in 1999 he spearheaded the AUC’s penetration into the department of Norte de Santander through the Catatumbo Bloc.
After Carlos Castaño resigned as the general commander of the AUC in 2001, Mancuso took on an even more significant role within the organization. From 2002 onwards, he was involved in the discussions between the AUC and the Colombian government, and later, the demobilization process of the paramilitary groups between 2003 and 2006.
Mancuso demobilized in December 2004. In May 2008, he was sent to the United States for drug trafficking offenses, along with 12 other paramilitary leaders. In October 2008, he made a guilty plea
Mancuso made a deal with US prosecutors and got a 15-year and one-month prison sentence. The agreement acknowledged the time he already spent in jail in Colombia, which helped to reduce his sentence.
Even though Mancuso completed his sentence in the US in March 2020, he wasn't released right away. Instead, he was held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) while they sorted out his immigration status. Despite wanting to go back to Italy, his home country, the Colombian government wanted him extradited to serve other sentences. agreement While in US prison, Mancuso asked in 2018 to be part of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (Jurisdicción Especial para la Paz – JEP), a special court in Colombia for ex-guerrillas. This was based on his involvement with paramilitaries between 1989 and 1997. If accepted, he could get benefits in the legal proceedings against him if he were to be sent back to Colombia.
In 2020, the JEP rejected his request, saying he wasn't a civilian or third party to paramilitary groups, but rather part of the armed structure. In November 2023, his legal team appealed the decision, which the JEP accepted, arguing that he was a link between politicians, the military, businessmen, and the paramilitary groups.
Mancuso came back to Colombia in February 2024, almost four years after finishing his US sentence. FARCCriminal Activities
Drug trafficking was a major part of Mancuso’s time with the AUC. According to the US government court
Mancuso, along with other paramilitary leaders, was implicated in shipping large amounts of cocaine from Colombia to the US through ports in Central America and the Caribbean. The Italian justice system also investigated him for drug trafficking.
While in prison in the US, Mancuso was convicted in Colombia by the Justice and Peace courts for numerous criminal acts committed during his time as an AUC commander, including killings, displacements, disappearances, recruitment of minors, and torture.
Currently in Colombia, Mancuso is being investigated for money laundering linked to drug trafficking. documentsMancuso had influence in several regions of northern Colombia, overseeing massacres.
Allies and Enemies
During his time with the ACCU and the AUC, Mancuso directly faced Colombian guerrillas, particularly the EPL, the National Liberation Army (Ejército de Liberación Nacional –
Geography
) and the FARC, in various parts of the country.
While he was a member of the AUC, Mancuso, who is Italian, had ties to the Italian ‘Ndrangheta mafia.
He also had channels for cleaning drug money. One notable partnership was with Italian businessman Giorgio Sale, who used his businesses to launder drug money for the AUC. Mancuso also reportedly ELNfunds through the gambling business of Enilse Lopez, also known as “La Gata,” a businesswoman from the Caribbean coast who had close connections to paramilitary groups in northern Colombia.
Mancuso also created a network of relationships with politicians, military officials, and businessmen that enabled the expansion of paramilitary groups into different areas of the country. In various hearings before the Colombian justice system, he has mentioned high-ranking military officers, former presidential candidates, ex-presidents, and multinational banana and coal companies, who allegedly cooperated with paramilitary groups in Colombia.
In August 2023, Mancuso was named a peace manager as part of Total Peace, a government initiative to negotiate with various armed criminal groups. As a peace manager, Mancuso could help facilitate dialogue with different armed groups, including those formed after the demobilization of the AUC. known However, Mancuso’s appointment has sparked debate, with some legal experts questioning what role Mancuso can play as a peace manager, considering that he demobilized almost 20 years ago. laundered The Colombian courts will ultimately decide whether Mancuso’s appointment as a peace manager is legally justified. Meanwhile, Mancuso remains in La Picota prison in Bogotá, awaiting the Colombian courts to determine his future.
Salvatore Mancuso, also known as “El Mono” or “Santander Lozada,” is a former Colombian paramilitary leader who was part of the Peasant Self Defence Forces of Córdoba and Urabá (Autodefensas Campesinas de Córdoba y Urabá – ACCU) and the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (Autodefensas Unidas de Colombia – AUC). In February 2024, following more than 15 years of imprisonment for drug trafficking in the United States, he returned to Colombia, where he was designated a peace manager as part of President Gustavo Petro’s “Total Peace” initiative.
Prospects
In August 2023, Mancuso was appointed peace manager in the framework of Total Peace, the project through which the government seeks to conduct negotiations with different armed criminal groups. As peace manager, Mancuso could facilitate dialogue with different armed groups, including those started after the demobilization of the AUC.
However, Mancuso’s appointment has generated debate, with some jurists believing that it is not clear what role Mancuso can play as a peace manager, considering that he demobilized almost 20 years ago.
It will be up to the Colombian courts to decide whether Mancuso’s appointment as a peace manager has legal grounds. Meanwhile, Mancuso remains in La Picota prison, Bogotá, awaiting the Colombian courts to determine his future.