Colombian Senator Ivan Cepeda, a fierce opponent of former president Alvaro Uribe, has denied charges that he violated accepted procedure in the parliamentary debate over Uribe's ties to paramilitary forces. Uribe accuses Cepeda of visiting paramilitaries in prison to get them to testify against him, a charge he denies. Cepada attributes the allegations to long-standing campaigns to persecute left-wing leaders. teleSUR