The Colombian president’s statement aroused boos and applause in the midst of his visit to the city of Pasto.
During his visit to the city of Pasto this Saturday, December 3, President Gustavo Petro made an announcement that aroused boos, applause and also controversy. The president stated that those young people who were arrested in the midst of the demonstrations and protests during the last national strike, will soon be designated as “peace managers.”
Also adding that the idea and what he wants is for them to get out of the jails they are in before Christmas Eve and spend Christmas with their families.
“Hundreds of young people arrested for participating in protests will be declared peace managers before Christmas Eve in Colombia,” said the president.
Also pointing out that “this government does not side with youth, social and activist leaders who simply expressed themselves by keeping them imprisoned in Colombian jails when they have the right to spend their Christmas with their families.”
This is not a new issue, as it will be remembered, the head of state in the middle of his campaign to reach the Casa de Nariño emphasized the importance of resolving the legal situation of those who have been detained by the Public Force in the middle of the unemployment and the protests.
COLOMBIAN NEWS ? pic.twitter.com/FtXlYD93Xs
— CALI IS CALI (@CaliesCaliCOL) December 4, 2022
Law that pardoned protesters from ‘the First Line’
During the month of October, in the first vote, the project that sought to pardon protesters, did not pass, but they assure that they will make some “adjustments” and it would be presented again.
One of the spokesmen for this initiative has been the Valle del Cauca congressman, Alberto Tejada, who, like Gustavo Bolívar, is part of the Historical Pact.
The Social Outburst project would have several points to consider, among them: changing the compulsory military service.
Promoters of peace…
The regulations also stated that once they were released they would become “promoters of peace and coexistence.”
This would only apply only to “persons deprived of liberty for conduct displayed in contexts related to the exercise of social protest.”
At least, this is clarified by the proposal presented on October 24.
In the plenary session of the Senate, the debate and vote on the articles that the “Total Peace” project would bring about, especially Law 418 of 1997, which sought to pardon and grant amnesty to captured and prosecuted protesters, took place.
What was intended is that the young people found imprisoned are free not only from prison, but also from their judicial charges.
However, the project was frozen and did not reach the majority of votes in the Senate, after 70 votes against and 10 in favor were presented.
And it is that according to the authorities, there are members of the front line accused of crimes such as personal injuries and damage to the public good, which, for various sectors, would have nothing to do with the right to social protest.
Despite the fact that the pardon and amnesty for those captured in excesses during protests came out of the public order law, the proposal remains in Congress.
What do the representatives propose to the Chamber for the Historical Pact? https://t.co/Ljs1B5P2Yh pic.twitter.com/awfVa14EJT
– Snail News (@SnailNews) October 25, 2022
another initiative
However, what was known at the time in a confession made by Senator Ariel Ávila to the newspaper El Espectador is that, “the Government was going to remove this initiative from the project, for which reason today the Senate voted for its elimination.”
This because they had to make some “adjustments” and be presented again on October 25.
#SiALaPazTotal || #ATTENTION ? || Tomorrow we will file a Bill that seeks to give AMNESTY and PARDON to those detained in the framework of the SOCIAL OUTBREAK. ?️
This project is a joint initiative between @cancimanceL@ProfeLeyla and I, with the support of @AlirioUribeMuoz .? pic.twitter.com/CH4Rgg6LY3
— JOSÉ ALBERTO TEJADA E. (@joaltejada) October 25, 2022
Meanwhile, the Vice Minister of the Interior, Gustavo García, raised the figure of “amnesty” for these detainees.
He did so in the middle of a dialogue with protesters, presumably members of the front line, and after the release of some people accused of having carried out attacks against members of the National Police.
