Colombian president denies seeking ‘revenge’ against peace tribunal

Colombia's President Abelardo de la Espriella has firmly rejected allegations that he aims to "seek revenge" against a special peace tribunal responsible for administering justice for the worst crimes of the country's long-standing civil conflict. The pro-government senator proposed a bill on Thursday to reduce the state budget allocated to the tribunal by approximately US$31 million, a move backed by the president who has vowed to employ force against rebels.

De la Espriella stated on X, using the Spanish acronym JEP for the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, that he has a duty to control expenditures, demand results, and allocate limited state resources to a justice system serving all citizens, rather than a tribunal that some perceive as a system of benefits. He emphasized that the proposed budget reduction from US$230 million to US$199 million would be channeled to the conventional justice system.

The tribunal's president, Alejandro Ramelli, criticized the budget cut, likening it to "economic asphyxiation." The tribunal, which issued its first verdicts last year, imposes alternative sentences, such as community service and movement restrictions, on perpetrators of atrocities, including FARC leaders and military officers responsible for disappearances and extrajudicial executions.