Seguridad
Minister Berrocal Calls
It Quits
The ministro de
Seguridad Pública
(Security Minister),
Fernando Berrocal,
stepped down from his
post yesterday following
a meeting with Costa
Rican president, Oscar
Arias and Rodrigo Arias,
ministro de la
Presidencia, Casa
Presidencial announced
yesterday.
Berrocal left his post
at 12:00 noon Sunday, a
day before he was to
appear before the
Legislative Assembly to
explain his comments of
Costa Rican politicians
having links to the
Fuerzas Armadas
Revolucionarias de
Colombia (FARC) -
Colombian rebels.
"I want to make it clear
that I did not resign,
nor did president Arias
ask me to quit. After
analyzing the situation,
we came to the consensus
that the subject should
not be politicized",
said Berrocal.
The meeting took place
Sunday morning at the
home of president Arias
in Rohrmoser.
Berrocal explained that
the only way for him not
to appear before the
Legislature is not to be
minister.
Berrocal earlier this
month made public
statements of Costa
Rican politicians ties
to the FARC following
information obtained in
the personal computer of
FARC number 2 man, Raul
Reyes, after he was
killed by the Colombian
army on March 1 in
Ecuador.
The information led to
the raid of a Heredia
home where us$480.000 in
cash was found in a
safe, money belonging to
the FARC.
Berrocal refused to name
names at first, then
said that there was no
list of names, which
caused furor among
legislators who called
on the minister to
appear before them to
explain himself.
Last week, Berrrocal
explained "I have not
said that there aren't
politicians mentioned in
the computer
information, just that
there is no official
list".
The former minister said
in a press statement
yesterday that he was
prepared to appear
before the Legislature
today, however,
following the closed
door meeting, he felt it
best to vacate his post.
Berrocal added that his
leaving his official
duties his appearance
before the legislature
is unnecessary and that
all the information he
has is now in the hands
of the Judicial
authorities, whom he
feels will continue with
the case.
With Berrocal at the
helm, the Seguridad
Publica and with the
help of the United
States, have confiscated
some 65 tonnes of
cocaine and seized some
us$14 million dollars of
drug trafficking money
and cut of some 50 drug
trafficking
organizations.
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