The so-called Citizen Security Law more severely punishes the carrying of bladed weapons, damage to private or public property, allows self-defense in some cases, increases the penalties of those who repeat a crime and establishes the highest possible sanction for those who murder police officers, human rights defenders, journalists or minorsDuke explained.
The law, already approved by Congress, “is inspired by ordinary citizens who feel intimidated and afraid,” Defense Minister Diego Molano explained during the act.
Its implementation intends to reduce “the impunity of those who commit crimes”, give “greater protection to citizens and members of the public force as well as greater tools for the judges who apply justice,” the government specified in a video projected during the act.
From now on, “violent crimes” that are carried out with dangerous weapons and thefts that exceed the equivalent of 1,000 dollars will be jailed, Duque said.
“A sanction without the benefit of release from prison” was also established for damage to public infrastructure or private property.
“Here a clear message is sent to those who have tried from vandalism to legitimize causes clearly influenced by politics,” he added.
During the massive and bloody anti-government protests that broke out in April 2021, in which more than 60 people were killed and some 700 injured, the president accused a faction of the protesters of committing “acts of vandalism.” Hundreds of them are detained for crimes related, according to the prosecution.
Since taking office in 2018, Duque has always supported the actions of the security force: in 2019 he did so when a series of anti-government demonstrations left four dead, and in 2020, when a mobilization for the murder of a student held by the police had a balance of 13 fatalities.
The law also provides for more severe punishments to combat the resurgence of violence that followed the peace agreement with the dissolved guerrilla group of the FARC, which is evidenced by a new wave of massacres, selective assassinations and displacements.
The homicide of leaders, police officers and other cases already described will be punished with a sentence of up to 58 years in prison.
In addition to the Citizen Security Law, Duque sanctioned the new Disciplinary Statute of the Colombian Police and the professionalization of the patrolmen, which he described on Twitter as “three instruments that uphold human principles, rights and duties.”
This law, approved by the House of Representatives last December, was widely rejected by the opposition, arguing that the project had inconsistencies and they called it “punitive populism” and “authoritarianism” against those who decide to go out the streets to protest.
Source From: Ambito
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