The former presidents of Colombia Alvaro Uribe Velez y Andres Pastrana They condemned the siege to which the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia was subjected, which threatens the independence of public powers.
Last Thursday, February 8, 2024, the Palace of Justice was surrounded by protesters who tried to enter the headquarters of the Palace of Justice through the parking lot using force and blocked the access to the premises to prevent the departure of the magistrates, who were finally removed from the building hours later by the Police.
The protesters blocked the exit of the high court, because a consensus was not reached for the election of the new attorney general, to replace Francisco Barbosa who is ending his term.
The judges of the high court, through a video, also condemned the “illegal blockade” to which the headquarters of justice in Colombia was subjected.
The president of the Supreme Court, Judge Gerson Chavera, not only condemned the siege of the Palace, but also gave a strong warning about the future of democracy in Colombia, which may be in suspense if the independence of justice is not respected.
Support for judges
The situation of violence against the Palace of Justice and the jurists provoked condemnation in all sectors of Colombian society. Former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, through his social network account X, formerly Twitter, deplored the violent attitude of the protesters. despite his differences with some magistrates.
He indicated that he has remained silent about the election of the attorney general, out of respect for the institutions and due to his own personal circumstances, about the investigation that follows the Colombian Attorney General’s Office for allegedly trying to manipulate witnesses to testify in his favor in a judicial process in which he is accused of being the head of a paramilitary group, and had not spoken out due to his past disagreements with some magistrates.
However, he considered it unacceptable that violent groups subject magistrates to a kind of kidnapping. Therefore, he suggested that it is necessary for the State, through tactical strategies and without generating additional risks, to guarantee the security and freedom of the magistrates.
For his part, former Colombian president Andrés Pastrana spoke on the social network X about the current situation in Colombia, expressing his deep concern about the recent events that threaten the independence of public powers.
Pastrana condemned the siege of the headquarters of the Attorney General’s Office, describing it as an act that seeks to prevent the normal functioning of justice and undermine its independence. He expressed his total support for Attorney General Francisco Barbosa, Deputy Prosecutor Martha Mancera and all the officials of the Prosecutor’s Office who do not bow down to the “false protests.”
Likewise, the former president criticized the violent siege of the Supreme Court of Justice and the passive attitude of Gustavo Petro’s government in the face of these events. For Pastrana, this situation constitutes the most serious attack on Colombian justice since the takeover of the Palace of Justice by the M-19 in 1985.
In his message, Pastrana calls for the defense of institutions and respect for the separation of powers. He emphasizes the importance of an independent justice system for the proper functioning of democracy and the protection of citizens’ rights.
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Source: Social network account X of former presidents Uribe and Pastrana, Infobe, La Estrella, El Tiempo, Semana
