Colombian High Court Rejects Duque's Objections to Peace Deal

Colombia’s Constitutional Court rejected all six of President Ivan Duque’s objections meant to prevent final approval of the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).

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Approved as part of the Peace Agreement in 2016 under the administration of Juan Manuel Santos, the JEP was monumental in ending half a century of violence between paramilitary groups and the country’s largest guerilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

However, in March, the president put the agreement in jeopardy after objecting to six of the 159 articles despite them having been previously approved by Congress. Among the articles brought into question were the suspension of extradition proceedings, reparations for victims, and the softening of sentences for former militants willing to cooperate with authorities.

With a vote of 47 to 34, the president’s concerns were dismissed. According to Judge Gloria Ortiz, head of the high court, Duque can no longer press any further objections and must now approve the bill.

Prior to the vote, Duque told the court,  “"I presented these objections and told the country … today I can say with my head held high: As a Colombian and defender of the law, I accept the decision taken by the Constitutional Court.”