Colombia Imprisons Ex-Paramilitary Chief Salvatore Mancuso for 40 Years

Mon Feb 02 2026 22:53:36 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

In a pivotal ruling, a Colombian tribunal hands down a 40-year sentence to Salvatore Mancuso for crimes committed during the country's armed conflict, spotlighting the ongoing fight for justice.

Salvatore Mancuso, former leader of the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), has been sentenced to 40 years in prison for his role in over 100 crimes, including murders and forced disappearances, during Colombia's armed conflict. The tribunal's verdict emphasizes the severity of violence inflicted on indigenous groups during this turbulent period. Although Mancuso could reduce his sentence to eight years through cooperation with transitional justice, his notorious legacy as a paramilitary leader remains a significant part of Colombia's history.

A tribunal in Colombia has sentenced a former paramilitary leader, Salvatore Mancuso, to 40 years in prison for murders and forced disappearances committed at the height of the country's armed conflict.

Mancuso was a commander in the United Self-Defence Forces of Colombia (AUC), a right-wing paramilitary group originally created to defend landowners from attacks by Marxist guerrilla groups, which became involved in drug trafficking.

The tribunal found that under his command, AUC members committed more than 100 crimes in La Guajira province between 2002 and 2006.

Mancuso was sent back to Colombia in 2024 after serving a 15-year prison sentence in the US for drug trafficking.

The 61-year-old was sentenced on Monday by a special tribunal created to deal with cases arising from Colombia's decades-long armed conflict, in which at least 450,000 people were killed between 1985 and 2018 according to figures compiled by a truth commission.

The tribunal stated that Mancuso's 40-year-long sentence could be reduced to eight years if he agreed to work with transitional justice and participated in reparation activities.

Mancuso's name became synonymous with the atrocities committed by AUC groups in the 1990s and early 2000s, which included documented crimes against the indigenous Wayuu population in La Guajira.

Under his leadership, the AUC targeted indigenous groups, driving them off their land and committing extensive violence against them. This included forced disappearances, murders, and gender-based violence.

The AUC negotiated a peace deal with the Colombian government in 2005, but its offshoots continued their involvement in drug trafficking and violence.

Mancuso was extradited to the US in 2008, serving time for smuggling cocaine into the country to reinforce paramilitary forces.

Upon returning to Colombia, Mancuso offered to testify against politicians and businesses that allegedly collaborated with the AUC. However, his designation as a promoter of peace by the government faced heavy criticism from human rights groups due to his past actions.