Vicente Castaño
Encyclopedia
José Vicente Castaño aka El Profe (born July 2, 1957 in Amalfi
, Antioquia
) is a Colombia
n paramilitary
former leader of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
(AUC), a right-wing
Colombian paramilitary
organization. After demobilizing, he was accused of murdering his brother and former AUC leader Carlos Castaño
and of narcotics trafficking
by both the Colombia
n government and the government of the United States
. In August 2004, the United States formally requested his extradition
. Castaño remains, however, a fugitive and is the presumed chief of the criminal organization Águilas Negras made up of former AUC paramilitary members.
where he also worked on farming for two years. Back in Colombia, Castaño worked with his brother Fidel in many businesses including a pub, gold
exchange in Segovia, Antioquia
, and farming. They later moved to Medellín
where they incurred in the lottery business.
, a leader of Los Pepes
and the founder of Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Córdoba and Urabá
and Carlos Castaño, who led the AUC until his death. Vicente has been accused of ordering Carlos' death
.
Amalfi, Antioquia
Amalfi is a town and municipality in the Antioquia Department, Colombia. Part of the subregion of Northeastern Antioquia....
, Antioquia
Antioquia Department
Antioquia is one of the 32 departments of Colombia, located in the central northwestern part of Colombia with a narrow section that borders the Caribbean Sea. Most of its territory is mountainous with some valleys, much of which is part of the Andes mountain range...
) is a Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n paramilitary
Paramilitarism in Colombia
Paramilitarism in Colombia refers to the origins and activities of far right-wing paramilitary groups in Colombia during the 20th century.Right-wing paramilitary groups are the parties considered to be most responsible for human rights violations in Colombia during the later half of the current...
former leader of the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia
The United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia was created as an umbrella organization of regional far-right...
(AUC), a right-wing
Right-wing politics
In politics, Right, right-wing and rightist generally refer to support for a hierarchical society justified on the basis of an appeal to natural law or tradition. To varying degrees, the Right rejects the egalitarian objectives of left-wing politics, claiming that the imposition of equality is...
Colombian paramilitary
Paramilitarism in Colombia
Paramilitarism in Colombia refers to the origins and activities of far right-wing paramilitary groups in Colombia during the 20th century.Right-wing paramilitary groups are the parties considered to be most responsible for human rights violations in Colombia during the later half of the current...
organization. After demobilizing, he was accused of murdering his brother and former AUC leader Carlos Castaño
Carlos Castaño
Carlos Castaño Gil was the founder of the Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Córdoba and Urabá , an extreme right paramilitary organization in Colombia...
and of narcotics trafficking
Illegal drug trade
The illegal drug trade is a global black market, dedicated to cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of those substances which are subject to drug prohibition laws. Most jurisdictions prohibit trade, except under license, of many types of drugs by drug prohibition laws.A UN report said the...
by both the Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n government and the government of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In August 2004, the United States formally requested his extradition
Extradition
Extradition is the official process whereby one nation or state surrenders a suspected or convicted criminal to another nation or state. Between nation states, extradition is regulated by treaties...
. Castaño remains, however, a fugitive and is the presumed chief of the criminal organization Águilas Negras made up of former AUC paramilitary members.
Early life
Castaño was born July 2, 1957 in Amalfi, a small village in the Antioquia Department in central Colombia. He was the sixth among twelve siblings of a family of farmers. When he was 12 years old he dropped out from school to help his father on farming duties. At the age of 18 years old he left the village and went to neighboring VenezuelaVenezuela
Venezuela , officially called the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela , is a tropical country on the northern coast of South America. It borders Colombia to the west, Guyana to the east, and Brazil to the south...
where he also worked on farming for two years. Back in Colombia, Castaño worked with his brother Fidel in many businesses including a pub, gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
exchange in Segovia, Antioquia
Segovia, Antioquia
Segovia is a town and municipality in Antioquia Department, Colombia. Part of the subregion of Northeastern Antioquia....
, and farming. They later moved to Medellín
Medellín
Medellín , officially the Municipio de Medellín or Municipality of Medellín, is the second largest city in Colombia. It is in the Aburrá Valley, one of the more northerly of the Andes in South America. It has a population of 2.3 million...
where they incurred in the lottery business.
Father's death
Castaño's father died on September 18, 1981 at the hands of the FARC-EP, a leftist rebel organization. The FARC had kidnapped the elder Castaño and demanded a ransom of 150 million pesos.Family
Vicente Castaño is the brother of Fidel CastañoFidel Castaño
Fidel Castaño Gil was a right-wing Colombian drug lord and paramilitary who was among the founders of Los Pepes and the Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Cordoba and Uraba, a paramilitary group which ultimately became a member of the larger United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia.-Los Pepes:In the...
, a leader of Los Pepes
Los Pepes
Los Pepes , was a short-lived vigilante group composed of enemies of narcotics kingpin Pablo Escobar who waged a bloody war against Escobar and his associates in the early 1990s.-Name:While the name suggested that all, or most, members of Los Pepes were previously persecuted by...
and the founder of Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Córdoba and Urabá
Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Córdoba and Urabá
Autodefensas Campesinas de Córdoba y Urabá , Spanish for Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Córdoba and Urabá, was a paramilitary group formed in northwestern Colombia, operating mainly in the Antioquia Department and Córdoba Department...
and Carlos Castaño, who led the AUC until his death. Vicente has been accused of ordering Carlos' death
Fratricide
Fratricide is the act of a person killing his or her brother....
.