A former Colombian guerrilla commander extradited to the United States has been sentenced to more than 16 years in prison for drug trafficking. Nayibe Rojas - better known by her alias, Sonia - was the most senior female member of the main Colombian left-wing guerrilla group, the Farc.
Ms Rojas was extradited to the US two years ago on charges of co-ordinating drug operations to finance the group. Her lawyers say they plan to appeal against the sentence. In court, Ms Rojas urged the judge to consider her poor background when sentencing her, saying she joined the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia to fight against the extreme poverty she was born into.
The trial was held in the same courtroom where another Farc commander, Rocardo Palmera, was tried last year. He was accused of plotting to kidnap three US citizens after their plane crashed in Colombia. A mistrial was declared in November after jurors failed to reach a unanimous verdict.
The US last year announced drug indictments against 50 Farc leaders - none of whom have so far been captured. The Farc is the largest rebel group in Colombia. It has been fighting the government for more than four decades. |
