USA Today
December 17, 1998

Colombian extremists face murder charge

                   BOGOTA, Colombia - The fugitive leader of Colombia's right-wing
                   paramilitary groups and his brother were indicted Wednesday in the 1990
                   slaying of a leftist presidential candidate. Carlos and Fidel Castano were
                   accused of ordering the assassination of Bernardo Jaramillo, candidate of
                   the Patriotic Union party, composed largely of former guerrillas. The
                   paramilitary groups are responsible for widespread massacres of civilians
                   accused of guerrilla ties. About 3,000 Patriotic Union party members have
                   been killed over the past decade by right-wing death squads - many of
                   which are believed to be associated with the paramilitary groups, which
                   have been bankrolled by large landholders and drug traffickers.