Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro ramped up security at the country’s top courts after police found explosives and a model of the palace of justice at a raid in Bogota.
According to the President’s Office, police increased security around the Palace of Justice in downtown Bogota and court buildings throughout the country.
The President of the Republic convened an extraordinary Security Council to evaluate the situation. As a result, it was decided to increase protection measures not only in the Palace of Justice, but also in other judicial centers in the country.
President’s Office
The Interinstitutional Commission of the Judicial Branch and the National Judicial Discipline Commission issued a statement in which they condemned “any action that threatens the integrity of judicial servants and the autonomy of the work carried out by justice in Colombia.”
Senate secretary Gregorio Eljach asked the director of the Congressional Protection Group for increased security measures in and around Congress, which is located opposite of the palace of justice on Bolivar Square.
The fear followed two raids in Bogota that were part of an ongoing criminal investigation of the Prosecutor General’s Office.
At the location of one of these raids, police did not just find bags of explosives and munition, but also the model of Colombia’s main court building.
Neither the police nor the prosecution have yet to inform the public about the investigation that led to the bomb threat suspicions.