Ernesto Báez

Iván Roberto Duque Gaviria
Nickname(s)	Ernesto Báez
Born	Aguadas, Caldas  Colombia
Allegiance	United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) Paramilitarism Narcotrafficking
Rank	Bloc commander
Unit	Bolivar Central Bloc

Iván Roberto Duque Gaviria aka Ernesto Báez (born May 9, 1955 in Aguadas, Caldas) is a Colombian paramilitary leader former member of the demobilized United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). Duque-Gaviria graduated as a lawyer from the Universidad de Caldas.

Duque Gaviria began his career as a member of the Colombian Liberal Party, he was democratically elected as Mayor of the municipality of La Merced and later worked for the Empresas Públicas de Manizales. In 1982 founded the Asociación Campesina de Ganaderos y Agricultores del Magdalena Medio, ACDEGAM (Ranchers and Farmers of the Middle Magdalena Peasant Association) in Puerto Boyaca presumably as a facade for the creation of paramilitary groups for the troubled region. Duque Gaviria became an adviser to this organization and was later arrested in connection to paramilitary organizations accused by the Attorney General of Colombia. He was arrested and imprisoned at La Modelo Maximum Security Prison under assassination and conformation of illegal paramilitary groups charges.

After being released from jail Duque met with Peasant Self-Defense Forces of Córdoba and Urabá, Carlos Castaño who was at the moment developing the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) Duque joined him and went clandestine under the alias "Ernesto Baez". Castaño and Baez decided to create a major group for the Middle Magdalena Region called "Bolivar Central Bloc (Bloque Central Bolívar, BCB) with Baez as commander. After sometime of cordiality between Castaño and Baez their views towards each other resented to the point of becoming enemies.

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