Why Colombia’s ex-President Petro had to get senate approval to leave the country
The request was submitted by the former president to Congress on August 10. The post Why Colombia’s ex-President Petro had to get senate approval to leave the country appeared first on The Bogotá Post .
On August 12, the Colombian Senate granted opposition leader Gustavo Petro permission to travel abroad during the next 12 months without needing further authorization. The Senate approved the measure in a vote of 73 to 11, with the request submitted by the former president on August 10. The vote reflected support from both traditional parties and opposition parties, including Petro's own political party, Centro Democrático, which had an agreement with another party, the Centro Democrático, led by former President Álvaro Uribe.
The only condition attached to the permission was that Petro notify the Senate of the date and destination of each trip. In a statement posted on social media, Petro indicated that he had no pending judicial matters in either the United States or Colombia and emphasized that the requirement for Senate approval was a constitutional one for anyone who had served as president.
The vote against granting Petro's request came from several political groups, notably the Salvación Nacional caucus, a far-right party that backed the current President Abelardo de la Espriella; the Cambio Radical caucus, a party supporting the current administration; and Senator Jota P. Hernández of the Alianza Verde party. Uribe addressed the criticism on social media, stating that all former presidents had the right to seek such permission and that there was no judicial basis for denying Petro this right.
Petro himself responded on social media, asserting his freedom of movement and criticizing anyone who prevented him from deciding whether or not to travel.
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