Gustavo Petro described Marco Rubio’s statements as an “interference in national sovereignty.”

On Monday, Colombian President Gustavo Petro denied that there had been any persecution in the criminal trial of former President Alvaro Uribe, who was found guilty of witness tampering and procedural fraud.

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“This government does not persecute anyone for political, sexual, gender or religious reasons. It does not pressure the judiciary, which is entirely independent from the government,” he said.

“Any suggestion to the contrary by foreign authorities is an affront we will not tolerate. Any claim to the contrary from sectors of the public is simply false,” Petro added, responding to claims about alleged interference by his administration in the ruling issued by Judge Sandra Heredia.

Earlier, Senator Paloma Valencia, a member of Uribe’s Democratic Center party, claimed the ruling against the former president was a result of Petro’s fear of Uribe. Petro also criticized the press for its role during Uribe’s trial and accused some journalists of exerting pressure on Judge Heredia.

“The conduct of part of the media has been appalling in recent days. Pressuring a judge to obtain a political, rather than legal, outcome—nearly threatening her like the mafias do. This behavior shows a deep lack of commitment to even the minimum democratic standards,” he said.

The text reads, “Hundreds of Colombians took to the streets of Bogota to celebrate the conviction of Alvaro Uribe Velez and the promise of justice. You won’t see this in the mainstream media.”

Additionally, the Colombian president described recent statements by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio—who criticized the conviction—as an “interference in national sovereignty.”

According to Rubio, the only crime committed by the far-right politician was “tirelessly fighting for and defending his country.” Rubio also said the politicization of Colombia’s judicial branch sets a troubling precedent.

In response, Petro said that interference in another country’s judicial matters constitutes a violation of national sovereignty. “The world must respect Colombia’s judges—many of them have been killed for helping the world,” Petro said.

He also expressed support for Foreign Minister Rosa Villavicencio, who rejected Rubio’s remarks and stated that his comments not only interfered with judicial matters but also violated Colombia’s sovereignty and disregarded the independence of its judiciary.

teleSUR/ JF

Source: EFE

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