Costa Rica News – There have been testimony after testimony of people changing while in prison. They claim to come out as responsible members of society, having given up their crime ridden frames of mind. But would you want one of these rehabilitated criminals as your neighbor?
John Jairo Velasquez Vasquez, known as “Popeye,” is a 52 year old man who killed hundreds during his time as the head of a violent group in Columbia. He was involved in the murder of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galan, attacking a plane and killing 101 passengers, murdering Barry Seal, a drug agent, and 300 others, such as the country’s attorney general, judges, police and journalists. He confessed to 3,000 crimes that were part of a war against the Colombian State and rival mafias.
He was detained for 22 years in a maximum security prison in Combita. He got out after just 22 years in exchange of cooperating with the investigation. He claims to be a new man with new values. He thinks that the only thing he can contribute to society, being that he has so many enemies, is a testament to how effective the rehabilitation program is in prison.
He mentioned in an interview that he would like to live in Costa Rica in his future. I think just about everyone in Costa Rica is against that idea! We shouldn’t worry too much though, because it’s not easy for a Colombian to enter Costa Rica.
All Colombians need a visa from the Costa Rican Consulate in their country. They do not qualify for this visa if they have been convicted of a felony in the last 10 years. If he were to enter illegally, the police could arrange for migratory sanctions.
