A US committee on government spending voted to increase financial aid to Colombia with $ 40 million unless the US government decertifies the South American country as a counternarcotics ally. Upon releasing the bill, the House Committee on Appropriations released a statement, saying it would conditionally increase next year’s aid package to $ 457 million. […]
The commander of Colombia’s army said Tuesday that he would change instructions for his troops after a wave of criticism the current instruction threatens the lives of civilians. In an interview with newspaper El Tiempo, National Army commander General Nicacio Martinez said the directive would be altered to avoid the outside interpretation that the military […]
Colombia’s inspector General appointed a special investigator to look into the recapture of “Jesus Santrich,” on Friday amid claims the FARC leader was poisoned. Friday’s chaotic arrest spurred the latest crisis in the country’s ongoing peace process as it followed a court order to release the FARC leader, who tried to commit suicide hours before […]
Colombia’s resigned chief prosecutor said Friday that he has left Colombia, a week before he was supposed to be interrogated by the Supreme Court over his alleged ties to corruption. Martinez told Canal 1 that he took a “necessary rest” after a war crimes tribunal order to investigate him for “serious irregularities” triggered his furious […]
Colombia’s security forces reported a 33% increase in combat kills and a 57% increase in arrests of alleged members of illegal armed groups in the first quarter of 2019 compared to the same period last year. The sharp increase followed a reported order by army commander Major General Nicacio Martinez, who is investigated for murdering […]
FARC leader “Jesus Santrich” was seriously injured inside La Picota on Friday, his attorney told press outside the prison from where he was ordered to be released. “Comrade Jesus Santrich, who … today would have been released is injured and bleeding and fighting for his life in the high security ward,” FARC spokesman Franciso Toloza […]
The controversial release of FARC leader “Jesus Santrich” by Colombia’s war crimes tribunal on Wednesday does not mean the end of legal troubles for the former guerrilla ideologue. The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) ruled against the extradition of Santrich on a US drug trafficking charge citing lack of evidence and “serious irregularities” in due […]
Colombia’s controversial chief prosecutor resigned on Wednesday after the country’s war crimes tribunal ordered the release of a FARC leader who was arrested last year on unsubstantiated US drug trafficking charges. The resignation of Prosecutor General Nestor Humberto Martinez had been demanded by citizens for months because of a slew of corruption allegations that has […]
The United States embassy in Colombia returned visas to top judges on Tuesday after a wave of criticism over the ambassador’s undue meddling in the country’s peace process. The embassy’s move to revoke the visas of two Constitutional Court judges and one Supreme Court judge as part of broader US meddling with the country’s peace […]
Colombia’s Supreme Court said Monday it has removed a magistrate from the witness tampering case against former President Alvaro Uribe for omitting to report she used to work for his lawyer. Senator Ivan Cepeda requested the removal of magistrate Cristina Lombana after she was forced to admit to journalist Daniel Coronell that she worked with […]