Colombia’s Minister of the Interior, Alfonso Prada, explained on Monday that some of those arrested in the 2021 protests will not be pardoned, but that based on new legislation and as workers of social organizations they may be designated as «peace managers».
«We have alternatives in Law 418 that we have just reformed to convert many of the people, who working within social, humanitarian organizations, who have work with the communities, help us to build total peace,» argued the head of the Interior.
In this sense, Prada said that those who President Gustavo Petro considers that they can «contribute to achieve total peace and citizen coexistence, will be designated as spokespersons or peace managers».
Prada has remarked that this is not a pardon or an amnesty because the judicial processes they have open for participating in those protests of 2021 against the policies of the government of former president Iván Duque will not be suspended.
«I want to make it very clear that this is not an amnesty process, nor a pardon, nor a judicial pardon. All the processes of those who have been prosecuted in the midst of the protest will continue in the hands of the judges», but rather it is about «using a transitory figure» that allows to have recognized youth leaders who can «contribute to total peace», he said.
Prada also clarified that the Prosecutor’s Office and the judges will have the last word on each of the proposals that Petro’s government will present in relation to these people who could be «peace managers».
Some of these people that the Government seeks to contribute to internal peace belong to the so-called ‘First Line’, a group of demonstrators who remained at the forefront of the protests, sometimes leading bitter clashes with the security forces, questioned for the excessive use of force applied to repress the demonstrations.
As it could not be otherwise, the opposition has questioned the initiative of Petro’s Government, which they accuse of «mocking» Colombians, insisting, despite the Government’s explanations denying it, on the theory that these people will be granted the pardon.
One of the fiercest critics of the new Government of Casa Nariño, the pro-Uribe senator María Fernanda Cabal, has said that this measure is nothing more than an «excuse» to make «terrorists» financed by the guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the extinct FARC, pass as peace managers.
