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News > Colombia

Colombia Appoints 'Sinister' Lawyer as Peace Commissioner

  • The people protest in Bogota, Colombia, May 2021.

    The people protest in Bogota, Colombia, May 2021. | Photo: Twitter/ @oppenheimera

Published 24 May 2021
Opinion

The former Commissioner Miguel Ceballos resigned because former President Alvaro Uribe interfered in his position.

Colombia's President Ivan Duque on Monday appointed Juan Restrepo as his new High Commissioner for Peace in replacement of Miguel Ceballos, who resigned amid police brutality escalation in the country.

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"The high-ranking official will strength peace and legality in Colombia," Duque said and thanked Ceballos for his role in the negotiations with the National Strike Committee (CPN).

From 2004 to 2005, lawyer Restrepo was an advisor to the Medellin Mayor's Office. Until yesterday, he held the post of Agriculture Vice Minister.

"His trajectory is sinister. Restrepo was at the head of the 'No to Peace in Antioquia' campaign and he was against the 2016 Peace Agreement. This gentleman will be a Commissioner for Duque's war, as Ceballos was," lawmaker Angela Robledo tweeted.

This weekend, Ceballos announced he was resigning as commissioner because former President Alvaro Uribe had interfered in his position.

"Uribe and Duque are playing with the country’s future. Unfortunately, they are making decisions according to the interests of the most favored class. Our nation deserves balance," Ceballos said shortly before leaving office.

The appointment of a new commissioner occurred the same day the police raided the Network of Alternative and Popular Media (REMAP) headquarters in Cali.  During the raid, the agents left journalist Sandra Castro out of communication and seized all her work equipment.

"The press has no guarantees. We urge the government to protect our rights," REMAP stated.

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