-DATE- 19930420 -YEAR- 1993 -DOCUMENT TYPE- -AUTHOR- -HEADLINE- Former Escobar Associate Castano Issues Communique -PLACE- SOUTH AMERICA / Colombia -SOURCE- Santa Fe de Bogota Inravision Television Cadena 1 -REPORT NO.- FBIS-LAT-93-075 -REPORT DATE- 19930421 -HEADER- ======================================================== Report Type: Daily report AFS Number: PA2004230693 Report Number: FBIS-LAT-93-075 Report Date: 21 Apr 93 Report Series: Daily Report Start Page: 45 Report Division: SOUTH AMERICA End Page: 45 Report Subdivision: Colombia AG File Flag: Classification: UNCLASSIFIED Language: Spanish Document Date: 20 Apr 93 Report Volume: Wednesday Vol VI No 075 Dissemination: City/Source of Document: Santa Fe de Bogota Inravision Television Cadena 1 Report Name: Latin America Headline: Former Escobar Associate Castano Issues Communique Author(s): former paramilitary Fidel Castano; place and date not given] Source Line: PA2004230693 Santa Fe de Bogota Inravision Television Cadena 1 in Spanish 1730 GMT 20 Apr 93 Subslug: [Report on communique issued by former paramilitary Fidel Castano; place and date not given] -TEXT- FULL TEXT OF ARTICLE: 1. [Report on communique issued by former paramilitary Fidel Castano; place and date not given] 2. [Text] Former paramilitary Fidel Castano states the following in a communique sent to the media and signed Pablo Escobar style, that is, with Castano's fingerprint: 3. 1. That he has cooperated with the authorities for the capture of the Medellin Cartel chief by providing information on locations and names of that organization's members. 4. 2. That he is not seeking any benefit from the justice system by providing the information. One must recall that a judge sentenced Castano to 20 years in prison for the massacres in the hamlets of Honduras and La Negra in Uraba. 5. 3. That he has not reorganized his group since its demobilization in 1990, even though he is convinced that private justice groups obtain excellent results. 6. 4. That the Colombian Government cannot expect the Armed Forces to dominate such a powerful criminal organization as Escobar's without the people's support. 7. 5. That he will surrender to justice after Pablo Escobar has been captured. 8. Some time ago Castanos and Escobar were friends in Medellin. For six years he was involved in the drug business. It is not known exactly when the dispute began, but it is a fact that Escobar's organization murdered two of Castanos' best friends; Henry e Jesus Perez and Fernando Galeano. That is why security institutions have not ruled out the possibility that Castano is the man behind the Persecuted by Pablo Escobar group. -END-