Authorities in Bogotá continue investigating the motives behind the murder of the former politician and emerald miner from Boyacá, Edilson Castro Castellanos, which occurred around 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 20.
EL TIEMPO’s Investigative Unit revealed Castro Castellanos’ identity and has now established that the victim had been a witness in a homicide that took place in one of the mines in Maripí, Boyacá.
Link to the ‘Rincón clan’
Castro Castellanos was a councilman of that municipality for the Liberal party, for at least 2 terms and it is known that he had emerald sales businesses.
“It is known that Mr. Castro is close to the Rincón clan in the mines, to which the emerald miners extradited to the United States, Horacio Triana Romero and Gilberto Rincón, belonged. He was trusted by Omar Rincón, they were always seen together”, a source from western Boyacá told EL TIEMPO.
EL TIEMPO’s Investigative Unit had access to a judicial process in which indeed, Castro appears as a witness in a homicide attributed to Omar Rincón.
Shooting at the mine
According to documents from the case, it concerns the 2014 murder of Julio Rincón Pinilla, a security guard at the La Pita emerald mine in Maripí (Boyacá), linked to the Rincón family.
The file states that Castro Castellanos witnessed the homicide while drinking beer with Omar Rincón and several of his partners and bodyguards at the La Pita mine.
“A problem started between the security guard and an associate of Omar Rincón, and he approached, pulled out a weapon, and shot Julio Rincón at least 13 times. The then councilman of Maripí, Edilson Castro, was there“, the testimony in the case states.
And now it is known that Castro Castellanos was a witness in the investigation of that homicide, but ended up being prosecuted for false testimony and procedural fraud.
In fact, he pleaded guilty and was convicted. However, a judge in Bogotá granted him conditional suspension of the sentence because it did not exceed 4 years.
(Check here all the articles from EL TIEMPO’s Investigative Unit)
Authorities are investigating whether the crime is linked to his emerald businesses or if it has any relation to his ties with the ‘Rincón clan’, several members of which have ended up extradited to the United States for drug trafficking.
INVESTIGATIVE UNIT
u.investigativa@eltiempo.com
@UinvestigativaET
Follow us now on Facebook
Read more Farmer affected by fierce fire in Armero, Tolima, urgently asks for help: ‘The fire started again’
Read more Attention: emerald miner and former politician from Boyacá murdered in northern Bogotá
