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News > Colombia

Censure Motion Against Colombian Defense Minister Moves Forward

  • Protesters wear masks alluding to the Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano (i), former president Álvaro Uribe (c), and General Jorge Luis Vargas, director of the National Police, during a sit-in in support of the motion of censure against Molano, in the Plaza de Bolívar, in Bogotá

    Protesters wear masks alluding to the Colombian Defense Minister Diego Molano (i), former president Álvaro Uribe (c), and General Jorge Luis Vargas, director of the National Police, during a sit-in in support of the motion of censure against Molano, in the Plaza de Bolívar, in Bogotá | Photo: EFE

Published 24 May 2021
Opinion

The plenary was attended by relatives of victims of repression by ESMAD agents.

The Colombian Congress is moving forward with a motion of censure of the Minister of Defense, Diego Molano, following the cases of repression perpetrated by agents of the Civilian Anti-Riot Squad (ESMAD) and the National Army against demonstrators who have been deployed in the streets since April 28.

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The plenary began with the participation of Senator Iván Cepeda, who blamed Molano for allowing the massive deployment of security forces, "we have summoned him (Molano) to sanction him for being one of those politically responsible for the chain of crimes against humanity that the security forces have perpetrated since April 28", said Cepeda.

The senator revealed a document containing writings, photographs, and videos illustrating repressive actions of the ESMAD in several regions of the country, where citizens have been mobilized for 27 days against the policies promoted by President Iván Duque.

For his part, Senator Jorge Enrique Robledo also demanded that Minister Molano apologizes to the families of the victims, "we cannot continue stigmatizing the Constitutional right of peaceful protest," he added.

"The minister must leave (...) You (Molano) become co-responsible for an ethical bankruptcy of the Colombian State; you are responsible for State terrorism. To the generals, I say that this breakdown generated by your actions has ethically broken the Colombian Police", said Gustavo Petro.

For his part, the congressman for the Comunes Party, Julián Gallo, asserted that there is a high probability that Molano will come out unscathed from the censure since the majority of the Congress is part of the Government party. 

"Minister, you may be saved from this censorship, but you will not be saved from the censorship of the Colombian society that claims to this Government and the State that it cannot continue giving war treatment, nor continue stigmatizing social protest because it is a legitimate right," said Gallo.

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