RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – The Colombian Senate endorsed the Colombian Minister of Defense, Diego Molano, who overcame today, with an ample majority, a motion of censure promoted by opposition congressmen who accused him of being “politically responsible” for the police violence in the protests that began on April 28.
The vote ratified Molano as head of National Defense with 69 votes against the censure motion, which had the support of 31 legislators.
The motion was called by 18 congressmen who denounced the “human rights violations” attributed to the security forces during the violent demonstrations, which left at least 43 dead and 129 people reported missing.
VOTE OF CONFIDENCE IN THE SECURITY FORCES
Right-wing congressmen, most of them affiliated with the Government party, the Democratic Center, Radical Change, and the Conservative Party, closed ranks around the minister and expressed that the public force is doing its job to avoid “the kidnapping” of the country, which has been experiencing an escalation of violence and strong moments of tension for a month.
“Because Colombia does not allow itself to be intimidated by the usual terrorists, I vote no. Colombia is with the Minister of Defense. Colombia is with the Minister of Defense”, said Senator Milla Romero, of the Democratic Center, in defense of Molano.
The minister assured that he receives the support of the Senate as a vote of confidence to “continue working to have a public force and admirable soldiers and police”, as well as “an exhortation to move forward and to continue protecting the tranquility and freedom of millions of Colombians who do not march” in the protests.
Molano is the third Minister of Defense of the Government of Colombian President Iván Duque to face a motion of censure in the Senate, and like his predecessors, Guillermo Botero and Carlos Holmes Trujillo, also cited for allegations of abuses by the security forces, he received the backing of the majority of the Congrego.
“I understand this decision of the Senate of the Republic as a vote of confidence in the institution of the Armed Forces and the Ministry of Defense,” Molano said in a public statement.
On the last 24th, in the debate of the motion, which lasted seven hours, the minister defended the institutionality and stressed that the Government respects “the peaceful demonstration” but that it is forceful “against violence and all the de facto ways affect the rights of Colombians”.
In this sense, today he added that the Senate vote “urges him to continue protecting peaceful protest” so that citizens “can express their concerns”, but insisted that he assumes the confidence of the congressmen who rejected the motion as an encouragement “to face with determination vandals and criminals who want to set the country on fire”.
OPPOSITION ACCUSATIONS
Opposition members of Congress blamed the minister for the human rights violations against the police during the demonstrations that have plunged the country into a delicate political and social crisis.
For the last month, thousands of Colombians have been demonstrating in the streets against the Government. Among their extensive petitions, they demand Molano’s resignation, as was recently done by the Finance Ministry, Alberto Carrasquilla, and Chancellor Claudia Blum.
The NGO Temblores, which monitors complaints against the security forces, has documented the death of 43 people during the demonstrations, cases in which members of the Police would be responsible.
However, the minister reminded on the 24th that the Attorney General’s Office has a record of 43 deaths in these days, although only “17 of them have a direct link in the framework of the protests” and that in three of those cases, in which the Police is allegedly involved, uniformed officers were arrested and are being prosecuted by the justice system.
“Minister Molano is responsible for crimes against humanity, yes vote”, said today the left-wing senator Iván Cepeda, who had argued in the debate of the 24th that the country needs a “deep restructuring of the Military Forces, of the Police, of the security agencies”.
The public force has been dragging for years serious accusations of excesses and corruption. Still, the structural change demanded by the opposition and the dismantling of the Police’s Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (Esmad) continues to divide the country deeply.
“Those who vote no are not accomplices of violence, barbarism, and murder of Colombian youth, I vote yes to the motion of censure”, said today opposition leader and presidential pre-candidate Gustavo Petro.
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