Fernando Sanclemente: the former ambassador defends himself in the case of a drug laboratory – Investigative Unit

The former ambassador of Colombia in Uruguay, Fernando Sanclemente, completes 8 months without speaking in public about the case that ended his diplomatic career and has it under investigation today: the discovery of a drug laboratory on the property of the Haras San Fernando family farm.

The prosecutor Francisco Barbosa announced a couple of months ago in EL TIEMPO that he was going to link him to the case. And this newspaper also revealed letters and communications from the estate’s butler, Laureano Martínez Cortés, in which he pointed out that a group of armed men forced him, under threats, to allow the drug laboratory to be installed and operated.

(We invite you to read: The confession of the butler of the estate of Ambassador Sanclemente)

In fact, he accepted charges and signed a preliminary agreement with the Prosecutor’s Office to obtain some judicial benefit. But Martínez has just changed his version and turned the case around that made Sanclemente’s name ring again.

(It may interest you: Narcolaboratory scandal knocked down Ambassador Sanclemente)

In the middle of the week, after the pre-agreement collapsed (because it had not been reviewed by the Prosecutor), his defense agreed to advance on a principle of opportunity.
Now, the butler says he is willing to expose the brains of the coca-growing complex that had set up on the hacienda, located in Guasca, Cundinamarca.
And, again, the name of the former ambassador began to ring. It was even said that, unofficially, Laureano Martínez managed to anticipate that the owners of the farm did know of the existence of the drug laboratory.

How did Laureano get there?

And although Fernando Sanclemente has not wanted to talk about the issue since the February press conference in which he declared himself outside the case, EL TIEMPO established that he had just sent a memorial to the prosecutor delegated to the Supreme Court who is in charge of the process.
Investigators told reporters from this newspaper that Sanclemente asked that the case against him be immediately shelved.

(Also: The story behind the drug lab at the ambassador’s hacienda)

His defense argued that, after reviewing the evidence that both the Prosecutor’s Office and the Police and federal agents who participated in the case have, it cannot be concluded that thehe former ambassador brought into the country, removed, transported, stored, manufactured, sold or offered some type of narcotic drug and more specifically cocaine.

In fact, the memorial that filed his defense also refers to the fact that telephone interceptions and evidence found in the coca-growing complex indicate that, as of January 15, 2020 – when it was dismantled – it was not yet in production.

(In context: Hidden data from the drug laboratory that overthrew Ambassador Sanclemente) For Sanclemente, the data is relevant because it seeks to demonstrate that during the assembly of the coca-growing complex, he was out of the country. According to the Foreign Ministry, he took office as ambassador on March 4, 2019.

The ex-diplomat also distances himself from the butler. He told the prosecutor delegated to the Court that, since 2007, he began to exploit part of the farm with cattle and some crops.

Under that line, he set up an Angus cattle farm, under the umbrella of his company Haras de San Fernando Ganadería SA

(Also: The mega hacienda in Suesca used to process coca)

EL TIEMPO had already revealed that businessman Carlos Alberto Gutiérrez Robayo – Gustavo Petro’s brother-in-law – advised Sanclemente on this project.

In addition, that two of the veterinarians of that livestock have already been heard by the Prosecutor’s Office and said that they had hired the butler and now a potential star witness of the Prosecutor’s Office.

In fact, Sanclemente has already admitted that his livestock hired Laureano Martínez and Gustavo Bejarano, another of those involved.

(It could be of your interest: Another mega-laboratory of coca falls in the drips of Bogotá)

As he said, both were in charge of taking care of the cattle and the farm. But he also stressed that Martínez had already said, in a complaint revealed by EL TIEMPO, that he had never told the owners of the farm about the existence of the drug laboratory, because it was threatened.

Enrique and ‘the tough ones’

In fact, in the interceptions of the butler’s cell phone, he assures that the laboratory is his and that his partner is “Enrique”.

“I had a kitchen, upstairs, of coca, to make coca, and they caught us this morning, I managed to fly with a car …”, is heard in one of the interceptions held by the Prosecutor’s Office.

And there are interceptions with ‘Enrique’, to whom Laureano Martínez alerted him that the farm was under surveillance and that he was not answering calls to the then ambassador Sanclemente.

(We encourage you to read: Petro distances himself from his brother-in-law, for mention in the case of Álex Saab)

In the audios, the so-called ‘Enrique’ is heard asking the butler if he had already spoken with “those from above” or “the tough ones” about what happened, because they were the ones who had to pay the lawyers.

‘Enrique’ –which no one has spoken of until now– asked in the calls: “How is Sanclemente going to react”.

(See here all the articles of the Investigative Unit of EL TIEMPO)

In fact, after telling him that he had not spoken to “the hardies”, the butler told him that Sanclemente was a hp and that he was going to leave with everything because “they threw his resume”: “We are going to have to suck guandoca.”

In the next few days, the butler will start talking.

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