Colombia Defense Minister Quits Over Scandal

Defense Minister Fernando Botero resigned Wednesday amid allegations that he knew about drug traffickers paying millions of dollars into the election campaign he ran last year for President Ernesto Samper.

The charges have plunged Samper’s government into its worst crisis since he took office less than a year ago and has led to calls for an investigation into administration links to Colombia’s powerful Cali cocaine cartel.

Botero, one of Samper’s closest political associates, is the first senior government official to fall victim to the accusations that the Cali cartel contributed $3.6 million to Samper’s successful campaign.

Botero, 38, announced his departure two days after the prosecutor general asked the Supreme Court to investigate his role and that of Communications Minister Armando Benedetti in the campaign funding. The court has yet to rule if there are sufficient grounds to investigate the two officials.

Botero, son of Colombia’s famous artist Fernando Botero, said he fully supported the prosecutor general’s decision to ask for an investigation.

The political crisis erupted last week when Santiago Medina, the treasurer of Samper’s election campaign, was ordered arrested after failing to explain to prosecutors why he accepted a huge check from a front company of the cartel.

Medina implicated Samper, Botero and other Cabinet ministers in testimony that was leaked to the Colombian press.

Botero has denied the accusations. Samper has denied knowing anything about drug money funding his campaign, but he said it could have happened without his knowledge.