Colombia’s Inspector General objects to the judicial immunity of U.S.
soldiers in Colombia as agreed by the U.S. and Colombian government,
newspaper El Espectador reported Wednesday.
In a recently agreed pact between the U.S. and Colombia, U.S. soldiers can not be tried by Colombian justice if they commit crimes on Colombian soil.
The Inspector General and representatives of the government met several times to discuss this controversial element of the deal and made adjustments to the agreement. However, IG Alejandro Ordoñez is still not fully convinced and has objections against the judicial immunity of U.S. soldiers.
Colombia’s Deputy
Foreign Minister Clemencia Ucros and Deputy Justice Minister
Miguel Ceballos will meet with Ordoñez Wednesday to hear his concerns. The meeting will be chaired by the delegate for proactive monitoring of civil services, Maria Eugenia Carreño. “We will evaluate various experiences with crimes committed by U.S. officials in Colombia. The idea is to ensure justice in any abnormal circumstances,” Carreño told the newspaper.
“We don’t want there to be blond children with blue eyes with unknown fathers,” the delegate said referring to problems of the past where U.S. soldiers refused to acknowledge their fatherhood.
Once the agreement is signed, the Inspector General’s Office will monitor the development of U.S. military on Colombian bases, Carreño assured.
The military agreement between the United States and Colombia is expected to be signed in “the near future.”