Colombia’s interior minister agreed Friday to withdraw controversial plans to create seperate courts for military personnel as part of a judicial reform bill.
Despite announcing earlier in the month that the government would withdraw the controversial plan, German Vargas Lleras has now stated they would accept it, saying, “we, the government, cannot withdraw it.”
Vargas Lleras on October 7 asked Congress to remove the clause relating to military courts to ensure that the reform bill is passed without complications.
The act specifies the creation of separate military courts to be used to judge members of the military for their actions while on duty. The proposal, which was put forward by the Minister of Defense, Juan Carlos Pinzon, to allow soldiers to be judged in a way that would take into account the context of the conflict.
Pinzon said, “it is necessary and advisable from a structural point of view to start to ensure that there is an appropriate framework for military personnel.”
The proposal has been met with much controversy, largely due to concern that the creation of military courts would give impunity to military personnel.