Colombian presidential hopeful under arrest

BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — A conservative Colombian presidential hopeful has surrendered to authorities after the Supreme Court ordered him arrested for allegedly benefiting politically from collusion with illegal far-right militias.

Luis Alfredo Ramos was president of Congress in 2002-03 and governor of Antioquia state in 2008-11. The ally of former President Alvaro Uribe turned himself in on Thursday.

Ramos is charged with criminal conspiracy for allegedly receiving campaign backing from the paramilitaries, who committed most of the killings in Colombia's dirty war, including its worst massacres.

Ramos is among dozens of politicians who allegedly colluded with paramilitaries. More than 80 have been imprisoned since 2006, when the scandal broke.

Ramos was on a list of potential nominees for May 2014 presidential elections who were backed by Uribe, Colombia's president in 2002-10.