COLOMBIA: PRESIDENT SAMPER STRUGGLES TO CALM POLITICAL TURMOIL скачать в хорошем качестве

COLOMBIA: PRESIDENT SAMPER STRUGGLES TO CALM POLITICAL TURMOIL

(30 Sep 1995) Spanish/Nat President Ernesto Samper struggled to calm Colombia's explosive political climate Friday amid an investigation into whether the Cali drug cartel financed his 1994 election campaign. His efforts came after a week in which Samper's lawyer was wounded by gunmen, and a Cabinet minister hinted that there was a U-S backed conspiracy to destabilise the Colombian government. It's been a tough week for Colombia's beleaguered President. Amid the tensions unleashed by the mounting allegations that his 1994 election campaign was financed in part by the Cali drug cartel, his lawyer narrowly escaped death in a shooting incident and relations with the U-S took a serious turn for the worse. During the swearing in ceremony of a Supreme Court judge at the presidential palace, Samper was the first to acknowledge the country was in political turmoil. SOUNDBITE:(Spanish) "El pais esta atravesando por un momento dificil, pero sus instituciones estan operando como debe ser en un estado de derecho. Los organismos de investigacion y los jueces siempre han contado y seguiran contando con el apoyo del gobierno nacional". (Translation): The country is going through a difficult time, but its institutions are working as they ought to in a democratic state. The investigating bodies and the judges have always had - and will continue to have - the support of the national government. SUPER CAPTION: Ernesto Samper - Colombian President Samper also made history last week as the first Colombian president to appear before a congressional commission investigating the allegations of irregularities in the financing of his 1994 election campaign. Samper's office also claimed this week that dark foreign forces were out to overthrow him. One of his Cabinet ministers then suggested U.S. drug agents were part of the conspiracy, prompting an angry denial from the United States. Samper's top aides have compounded the issue by criticising prosecutors investigating government corruption. SOUNDBITE:(Spanish) "Uno que estuvo metido en la campana le consta que las cosas se manejaron transparentemente pero hay unas afirmaciones, unas afirmaciones suprememente graves contra la campana y contra comportamientos en la campana, y a ellas que decimos nosotros, que se investiguen, que se investiguen con rigor, que se respalde a la fiscalia para que esas averiguaciones se hagan a fondo y terminen en unas conclusiones que a titulo de verdad asuman la jurisdiccion. Pero el senor fiscal encargado se adelanto y el ya dijo que si que habia delito y que iban a caer cabezas y que iba a caer Samson con todos sus ministerios". (Translation): As one who was involved in the campaign I believe things were carried out above board but there are allegations, very grave allegations against the campaign and the way things were carried out in said campaign, and we say investigate those allegations, let them be investigated rigorously, in keeping with judicial procedures so that these investigations are carried out in depth and end in the truth and upheld by the judiciary. But the attorney-general in charge of the case has already pre-empted the outcome by saying that there had been criminal activities and that heads were going to roll and that Samson was going to fall with all his ministries. SUPER CAPTION: Horacio Serpa - Colombian Interior Minister Three senior officials of Samper's campaign have been arrested amid allegations the campaign accepted dlrs 6.1 million in donations from the Cali cartel. Samper denies any wrongdoing. Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter:   / ap_archive   Facebook:   / aparchives   ​​ Instagram:   / apnews   You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/you...