The Chamber of Senators partially approved the bill “that incorporates the punishable act of contract killing into the Penal Code.” It was approved in general and its treatment in particular was postponed for 15 days by motion of Senator Fidel Zavala.
DESIGNERS
Fidel Zavala, a national senator for the Patria Querida party (PPQ), and one of the planners of the initiative, affirmed that the country is in dire need to establish effective policies to contain the hired killer.
“We have to differentiate because many things are not contemplated in the Penal Code. Many people commit assassinations on orders or on behalf of a financial reward. This is not contemplated in the Penal Code”, he commented.
Enrique Riera, national senator for the ANR (Chartism), and also a designer, expressed for his part that not only the case of Marcelo Pecci motivates this law. Rather, similar events exist daily and therefore cannot be normalized.
“In general, it is a figure that fits just right. We want this to be a sign that things are going to change,” she expressed.
CONTEXT
The initiative seeks to reduce or eliminate the legal gap that exists in article 105 of the Penal Code. In it, several types of intentional homicide are discussed, one of them is the one that is for profit. However, this document gives more details to differentiate the act of contract killing from an intentional homicide.
The project establishes the incorporation of an article 105 “B” where the act of contract killing will be punished with a sentence of between 15 to 30 years. Unlike intentional homicide, which establishes penalties of between 5 and 20 years for the crime, except when the victim is a direct relative such as one of the parents, spouses, siblings or children, in that case, the penalty could increase up to 30 years. years.
The project in question not only punishes the material author (hitman), but also the intellectual author (who paid for the work) as the intermediary (link between the payer and the hitman). In addition, it establishes that in the event that the victim is a public official, a member of one of the three Powers of the State, the minimum sentence will be 20 years.
“It already has a favorable opinion. The only thing they are going to give you are shape changes. The need to reduce or eliminate the legal loophole on how hired assassins work was understood,” explained Fernando Silva Facetti, a national senator for the PLRA and one of the planners of the initiative.
EMBLEMATIC CASES
During 2022, there were acts of contract killings that affected public figures. At the end of February, the model and influencer, Cristina “Vita” Aranda, was murdered in full concert in San Bernardino. In May, two deaths occurred within a week of each other. Prosecutor Marcelo Pecci was assassinated in Colombia at the hands of hitmen. And, a week later, José Carlos Acevedo, mayor of Pedro Juan Caballero, was attacked by assassins at the exit of the commune, he died after fighting for his life for four days.
