Colombia jails US citizen on femicide charges
Colombia preparing tropical paradise for tourism after 500...
Hacktivists leak 178,000 documents from Colombia’s military
Colombia’s sentenced for exterminating political party
Colombia’s capital Bogota awarded for failing crime policy
OAS urges Colombia to release people arrested over...
Colombia’s war crimes tribunal hears notorious former warlord
Colombia’s GDP and GNI
Panama arrests US citizen suspected in Colombia of...
Colombia seeking mastermind behind Paraguay prosecutor kill plot
  • About
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion
War and peace

Pope Francis declines invitation to help pick judges for Colombia post-conflict court

by Adriaan Alsema August 31, 2016

Pope Francis has declined an invitation by Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos to help pick judges for a transitional justice tribunal in the event a peace deal with FARC rebels is approved by the people.

In a statement published by the Vatican, the Catholic Church leadership said the pope “reiterates his support for the goal of attaining the peace and reconciliation of the entire Colombian people.”

Profiles

FARC

Juan Manuel Santos


Fact sheet

Peace talks

However, the pope declined to take part in the justice system that will try to rule over the tens of thousands of war crimes committed during more than half a century of violence.

“Considering the universal vocation of the Church and the mission of the Successor of Peter as shepherd of God’s people, it would be more appropriate this task would be entrusted to other bodies,” the statement said.

The Colombian president had asked the United Nations and the Catholic Church’s highest clergy to help pick judges for the justice system that is among the most controversial elements of the peace deal between the government and the FARC, Colombia’s oldest and by far largest rebel group.


Colombia wants involvement of pope and UN in post-conflict courts

The post-conflict justice system is controversial because, according to the peace deal, it will not have the authority to send convicted war criminals who fully collaborate with justice to prison.

War criminals who refuse to cooperate or hesitatingly cooperate will be sent to prison for sentences up to 20 years.

The justice element of the peace deal has been fiercely criticized by both Colombia’s conservative opposition and Human Rights Watch.

In an editorial published on this website, the Americas director of Human Rights Watch, Jose Miguel Vivanco, called the agreement a “dirty deal.”


Colombia’s peace agreement a dirty deal, without justice for atrocities

The FARC, the state and state-aligned paramilitary groups are accused of having carried out thousands of homicides, kidnappings, massacres and other atrocities.

Victim organizations have expressed their support for the peace deal, but have also criticized the element of justice.

When Colombia held a similar demobilization process with the paramilitary organization AUC, approximately 30,000 people demobilized but only 66 were reportedly convicted for war crimes.

armed conflictFARCpeace processpeace talksPope Francistransitional justiceWar Crimes

Trending

  • Panama arrests US citizen suspected in Colombia of murdering fiancé

  • Colombia’s capital Bogota awarded for failing crime policy

  • Colombia’s war crimes tribunal hears notorious former warlord

For patrons

Downloads for patrons

Related articles

  • Colombia’s sentenced for exterminating political party

  • Colombia’s war crimes tribunal hears notorious former warlord

  • Colombia’s government and ELN rebels overcome “crisis” in peace talks

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Rss

@2008-2019 - Colombia Reports. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Digitale Zaken and Parrolabs


Back To Top
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion