MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Paraguay: Killers of kidnapped of daughter of former president sentenced

A court on Friday sentenced two leaders of a radical leftist group to 25 years in jail for the kidnapping and murder of a former president's daughter, a spokeswoman said.

Osmar Martinez and Anastasio Mieres were sentenced along with 12 other members of the group for the 2004 killing of Cecilia Cubas, daughter of former President Raul Cubas, said Judge Elsa Garcia, the court's spokeswoman.

The 12 others received lesser sentences ranging from seven to 18 years in prison, Garcia said.

Another woman identified as Francisca Andino was separately sentenced to 22 years in prison as an accomplice.

The court found she did not participate in the kidnapping or murder, but she knew about them and failed to inform authorities, Garcia said. All the sentences are subject to appeal.

According to court papers, Martinez and Mieres were leading members of Patria Libre (Free Fatherland), a small far left-wing group connected to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, that country's largest guerrilla organization.

The 31-year-old Cubas was kidnapped in Sept. 2004 and the kidnappers initially demanded a ransom of US$5 million (?3.7 million) for her release.

After negotiations, the family finally paid a US$800,000 (?604,000) ransom, but the kidnappers killed Cubas anyway. Her body was found in Feb. 2005 stuffed down the well of a house in suburban Asuncion.

According to the court documents, the ransom money was used to finance revolutionary activities.

Raul Cubas ruled Paraguay from August 1998 to March 1999 and was forced to resign amid a major political crisis.