The Colombian government announced on Friday the names of the first seven young people who, after their release, will serve as «spokespersons for peace» in recognition of «their social leadership» and «their community work».
The first ones chosen to participate in the reconciliation and peace processes under the new state policy are Arles Andrés Bolaños Zemanate, Adriana Esperanza Bermeo Súa, Santiago Márquez Charris, Laura Camila Ramírez Enciso, Juan Sebastián Galeano Correa, Álvaro Andrés Duque Ruiz and Bremmen Hinestroza, all of them charged for public disorder during the 2021 protests.
The Minister of Justice, Néstor Osuna, has emphasized that none of them were imprisoned for charges of a sexual nature, against humanity, homicide or torture but for public disorder, damage to property or obstruction of authority. «What we took into account was not so much the crimes, but the usefulness they could provide for the reconciliation of the neighborhood,» he said.
For these crimes, five of them were now deprived of their liberty, while two others were under house arrest. Some of them would have been part of the so-called ‘First Line’, a group of demonstrators who clashed with the police in the social outburst of 2021.
Casa Nariño has clarified that these seven people will not be peace managers as has been said so far, but spokespersons, and will not receive any kind of remuneration for their work, as had also been previously published.
Likewise, Minister Osuna, once again, has emphasized that these appointments will not interfere in any of the judicial processes to which these people must respond for their actions in those protests. The judges continue with the processes and the Government does not get involved», he concluded.
«If any of these people are called to an interrogation they must attend, if any of them are convicted, this conviction alters their judicial situation. The measure is fully respectful of the division of powers», he emphasized, reports Blu Radio.
