President Alvaro Uribe called Friday for immediate dialogue with the Supreme Court over its decision to unilaterally impose restrictions on extradition to the U.S, reports Caracol Radio.
Uribe said that extradition was “not only a matter of justice, but also of public policy and international relations,” and asked the court to discuss the issue with the government before making decisions.
The president said that those sent to the U.S. on drug charges had committed “crimes against humanity.”
The Supreme Court is seeking a “review of the mechanisms that are currently running against the extradition treaty” so that reparations can be made to the victims of paramilitaries before the are jailed in the U.S.
The court believes that the extradition of paramilitaries should not be approved until they have completed their participation in the Justice and Peace process, which involves testifying about their crimes and making reparations to their victims.
On Tuesday the Supreme Court denied the extradition of former paramilitary leader, Freddy Rendon Herrera, alias “El Aleman,” as he is currently taking part in Justice and Peace.
The court also refused to authorize the extradition of El Aleman’s brother, Daniel Rendon Herrera, alias “Don Mario,” as the former paramilitary boss is also taking part in the process.
In late April it was reported that the current government has extradited over 1,000 people to the U.S. during Uribe’s eight years in power.
