Authorities in Colombia carried out a controlled explosion on Friday to demolish the former fortress of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in Medellin.

A crowd of 1,600 people including some families of Escobar victims, watched as just before midday a loud detonation was heard and the eight stories of white concrete crumbled to the ground, leaving behind a cloud of smoke that lingered for several minutes.

In its place will be erected a memorial to the victims of Escobar's reign of terror that ended when he was killed by police in 1993.

While some elements of society criticized the move, claiming it was erasing history, authorities insisted they were merely "transforming" the narrative to focus on the victims rather than the perpetrator.

The demolition of the ostentatious building, which had once drawn crowds of curious sightseers, "signifies the defeat of the culture of illegality," said Colombia President Ivan Duque.

"It signifies that history won't be written from the perpetrator's perspective."

Duque made a flying visit to the demolition site before heading to Cucuta, on the border with Venezuela, to attend a concert organized by British billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson to raise money for humanitarian aid for Venezuelans.

Cucuta is the site of a collection center where tons of mostly U.S. aid has been piling up for two weeks ahead of an attempt by Venezuela's opposition leader Juan Guaido to bring it into the country, despite the border being blockaded by the military.

Escobar may be dead but Colombia remains the biggest producer of cocaine in the world, much of which is bound for the U.S. </s> Authorities in Colombia carried out a controlled explosion on Friday to demolish the former fortress of drug kingpin Pablo Escobar in Medellin.

A crowd of 1,600 people including some families of Escobar victims, watched as just before midday a loud detonation was heard and the eight stories of white concrete crumbled to the ground, leaving behind a cloud of smoke that lingered for several minutes.

In its place will be erected a memorial to the victims of Escobar’s reign of terror that ended when he was killed by police in 1993.

While some elements of society criticized the move, claiming it was erasing history, authorities insisted they were merely “transforming” the narrative to focus on the victims rather than the perpetrator.

The demolition of the ostentatious building, which had once drawn crowds of curious sightseers, “signifies the defeat of the culture of illegality,” said Colombia President Ivan Duque.

“It signifies that history won’t be written from the perpetrator’s perspective.”

Duque made a flying visit to the demolition site before heading to Cucuta, on the border with Venezuela, to attend a concert organized by British billionaire entrepreneur Richard Branson to raise money for humanitarian aid for Venezuelans.

Cucuta is the site of a collection center where tons of mostly US aid has been piling up for two weeks ahead of an attempt by Venezuela’s opposition leader Juan Guaido to bring it into the country, despite the border being blockaded by the military.

Escobar may be dead but Colombia remains the biggest producer of cocaine in the world, much of which is bound for the US. </s> BOGOTA (Reuters) - Colombia’s top administrative court on Friday began hearings that could be long and contentious about proposals to drill for oil using the technique known as fracking, hailed for sharply boosting supplies but criticized for causing environmental damage.

Demonstrators take part in a protest against the use of fracking, in Bogota, Colombia June 7, 2019. REUTERS/Luisa Gonzalez TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY

The public hearings in the Council of State, which is tasked with ruling on administrative matters, stem from a decision made late last year to temporarily suspend regulations for development of non-conventional oil deposits.

Fracking is not yet in use in Colombia. While there is no law against the practice, the government says regulations are needed before it can be used. Its possible use has sparked vitriolic debate among lawmakers, activists, officials and regular citizens about whether it could cause pollution or other environmental harms.

“We consider this high-impact litigation,” Magistrate Ramiro Pazos told Reuters after the largely procedural hearing. “It’s an issue of extreme importance for the country.”

Six magistrates could rule next month on whether the suspension should continue, Pazos said, while evidence gathering on whether fracking should go ahead will take until the end of the year.

The next hearing, which will include witness testimony, is scheduled for July.

The tribunal’s decision to suspend the regulations came after environmental lawyer Esteban Lagos, with support from the Universidad del Norte college, anti-fracking activists and a leftist lawmaker, filed a suit against the energy ministry to halt potential use of the technique.

Lagos, representing himself, said he was optimistic about the process.

State-run oil company Ecopetrol is acting as a co-defendant and asked the court to lift the suspension measure so a fracking pilot project can proceed.

The company has applied for several fracking licenses and is looking to spend $500 million on exploring unconventional deposits over the next three years.

Hundreds of activists gathered outside the court building to protest fracking - one of 70 marches set to take place around the country on Friday.

Fracking could nearly triple Colombia’s reserves of crude and gas, the government has said.

Hydraulic fracturing breaks up rock formations with pressurized liquid. Its use is credited for booming oil and gas production in the United States, but environmental activists have blamed it for water pollution and earthquakes.

An expert commission convened by the government to study fracking recommended strict monitoring of three pilot projects to determine whether the technique should be widely used.

Three commission members will be able to testify in the case, Pazos ruled. </s> Colombia's new government said it would review former President Juan Manuel Santos' recognition of Palestine after the previously unreleased decision was made public on Wednesday.

BOGOTA: Colombia's new government said it would review former President Juan Manuel Santos' recognition of Palestine after the previously unreleased decision was made public on Wednesday.

President Ivan Duque took office on Tuesday and was informed a few days ago of Santos' decision, which was detailed in an Aug. 3 letter to the Palestinian representative in Colombia, the foreign ministry said.

"Given possible omissions that could come to light about the way in which this decision was taken by the outgoing president, the government will cautiously examine its implications and will act according to international law," new Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes said in a statement.

Santos decided to recognise Palestine as a "free, independent and sovereign state," according to the letter, which was circulated to reporters by the foreign ministry.

"Just as the Palestinian people have a right to constitute an independent state, Israel has a right to live in peace alongside its neighbours," the letter said.

The decision came to light during a visit to Colombia by United States ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. She attended Duque's inauguration on Tuesday and on Wednesday visited Venezuelan migrants in the northern border city of Cucuta.

The United States, a close ally of Israel, was getting more information about the situation and had no immediate comment, the U.S. mission to the United Nations said.

"We thank the Colombian government for this decision and we are sure that it will contribute significantly to generating the necessary conditions in the search for peace in the Middle East," the Palestine representative said in a statement on Wednesday.

Palestine has been recognised as a sovereign state by the U.N. General Assembly, the International Criminal Court and at least 136 countries.

Palestine seeks to create a state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, lands that Israel captured in the 1967 war.

Colombia abstained in December from a vote by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on a resolution calling for the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital. U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favour.

The status of Jerusalem is one of the thorniest obstacles to a peace deal between Israel and Palestine, who were furious over Trump's move. The international community does not recognise Israeli sovereignty over the full city. </s> BOGOTA – Colombia’s new government said it would review former President Juan Manuel Santos’ recognition of Palestine after the previously unreleased decision was made public on Wednesday.

President Ivan Duque took office on Tuesday and was informed a few days ago of Santos’ decision, which was detailed in an Aug. 3 letter to the Palestinian representative in Colombia, the foreign ministry said.

“Given possible omissions that could come to light about the way in which this decision was taken by the outgoing president, the government will cautiously examine its implications and will act according to international law,” new Foreign Minister Carlos Holmes said in a statement.

“Just as the Palestinian people have a right to constitute an independent state, Israel has a right to live in peace alongside its neighbors,” the letter said.

The Israeli embassy in Bogota said it was surprised and disappointed.

“We ask the Colombian government to reverse the decision made by the previous administration in its last days, which contravenes the close relations, extensive cooperation in vital areas and interests of both countries,” it said in a statement posted to its Twitter account.

The decision came to light during a visit to Colombia by United States ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley. She attended Duque’s inauguration on Tuesday and on Wednesday visited Venezuelan migrants in the northern border city of Cucuta.

The United States, a close ally of Israel, was getting more information about the situation and had no immediate comment, the U.S. mission to the United Nations said.

“We thank the Colombian government for this decision and we are sure that it will contribute significantly to generating the necessary conditions in the search for peace in the Middle East,” the Palestine representative said in a statement on Wednesday.

As of 3 August 2018, 137 of the 193 member states of the United Nations and two non-member states have recognized the State of Palestine. Many of the countries that do not recognize the State of Palestine nevertheless recognize the PLO as the “representative of the Palestinian people“. On 29 November 2012, the UN General Assembly passed a motion changing Palestine’s “entity” status to “non-member observer state” by a vote of 138 to 9, with 41 abstentions

Palestine seeks to create a state in Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem, lands that Israel captured in the 1967 war.

Colombia abstained in December from a vote by the 193-member U.N. General Assembly on a resolution calling for the United States to drop its recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital. U.S. President Donald Trump had threatened to cut off financial aid to countries that voted in favor. </s> BOGOTA, Colombia — Colombians are voting Sunday in a first-of-a-kind referendum that aims to curb corruption in a country where white-collar criminals are fast replacing drug gangs and paramilitary groups in penetrating the upper echelons of power.

The referendum seeks to slash the salaries of Colombia's Congress members and to bring laws that make public spending more efficient and transparent.

But while most Colombians agree that corruption is a plague that needs to be exterminated, some believe putting it to a vote is not the best way to do so.

The referendum has been boycotted by Colombia's judges over fears it will lead to wage cuts in the judicial branch since a law states that salaries for top magistrates should be the same as those of Congress members.

"We already have lots of anti-corruption laws," said Hermens Lara, a Bogota municipal judge who is director of the Board of Judges and Magistrates of Colombia. "The problem is implementing them."

Newly elected President Ivan Duque and most of Colombia's main political parties say they back the measure, but they have done little to promote it or to lure voters to the polls.

Voters on Sunday will be asked seven questions that include whether to hand down tougher penalties on corrupt officials who now often serve out sentences in multi-million dollar homes; whether term limits should be imposed on lawmakers, and whether the salaries of members of Congress should be reduced by 40 percent.

Colombian law currently sets senators' salaries at about $124,000 per year, more than what parliamentarians make in countries like Holland, Sweden and France.

The measures focus on Congress and some experts question whether the changes would do anything to curb corruption elsewhere, such as within the judiciary or police.

"Some of the proposals have no impact on corruption," says Marcela Anzola, a consultant for the Inter-American Development Bank. Still she said that passage would "give greater legitimacy to anti-corruption initiatives and send a strong message to politicians."

According to Colombia's inspector general, corruption in the country is equivalent to 4 percent of gross domestic product each year. One recent study by Transparency International found that 63 percent of companies in Colombia feared losing business if they did not engage in bribery.

That face of corruption in Colombia marks a stark change from the days when cocaine kingpin Pablo Escobar was elected to Congress and his rivals in the Cali Cartel helped elect a president. Just a little over a decade ago, scores of congressional members were also charged or investigated for ties to right-wing paramilitary groups.

But today, experts say the biggest threat comes from white-collar criminals.

One example is the expansion of an oil refinery in Cartagena, which ended up costing more than double its projected $3.3 billion price tag due to what authorities described as mismanagement and graft by officials who were in cahoots with contractors.

The referendum would give Colombia's Congress a year to pass legislation implementing the proposals or force Duque to do so by decree.

Getting the minimum number of votes to make the results binding, however, is a tall order.

The measures need approval from 12 million voters — or roughly a third of the 36 million registered voters. Turnout in the country's recent presidential election barely reached 50 percent, while a 2016 referendum on a peace deal with leftist rebels to end a half century of fighting barely drew 13 million votes.

Campaigning for the referendum has been spearheaded by Claudia Lopez, a former senator and vice presidential candidate for the center-left Green Party.

Lopez said she began to push for the referendum after Congress repeatedly rejected anti-corruption bills that her party had proposed.

"Corrupt politicians will never vote to place limits on themselves," Lopez told The Associated Press. "That's why this referendum is the best tool we have to tackle corruption."

Lopez and her supporters have tried to overcome voter apathy with the help of a famous satirist, recording a campaign video that shows Lopez and a handful of middle-aged congressmen dressed up as reggaeton singers who riff that corruption is the "cancer of Colombia" and must be stopped.

Julian Ramirez, an 18-year-old political science student in Bogota, said he has been campaigning for the anti-corruption referendum since last year, when activists collected 4 million signatures to get officials to fund the vote.

"Fighting corruption should be something we can all unite under," Ramirez said as he walked around a central Bogota neighborhood handing out flyers. </s> BOGOTA: Colombians are voting on seven anti-corruption measures in a referendum on Sunday, including a reduction in lawmakers’ salaries and term limits for public posts, as graft scandals continue to spark outrage.

As security in the country has improved in recent years, Colombians have increasingly turned their attention to headline-grabbing corruption cases, including vote-buying, graft to obtain public contracts and the extradition of the country’s anti-corruption czar for allegedly taking bribes. Corruption costs the country $17 billion a year, equivalent to 5.3 percent of GDP, the country’s comptroller has said.

The issue was a hot topic in the June presidential election, as candidates responded to popular outrage with a raft of reform promises. At a polling station in northern Bogota, every voter approached by Reuters said they backed the yes side. It is widely expected that many opposed to the measures will not vote.

“It’s not fair we invest so much in congressional salaries when there’s so many families who don’t earn even two minimum salaries,” said Miriam Huerte, a 54-year-old house cleaner. ‘Yes’ is supported by many leftist and centrist lawmakers. A faux reggaeton video starring politicians encouraging people to vote yes was widely shared on social media this week.

Right-wing President Ivan Duque, who promised during his campaign to clamp down on graft with term limits and stiffer sentences, supports the referendum and has called corruption a “cancer”.

However, several members of his party, including Alvaro Uribe, who is his mentor, an ex-president and current senator, have said they prefer to support anti-corruption proposals in Congress. Uribe, whose administration was dogged by corruption probes, is now under investigation by the Supreme Court for alleged witness tampering and bribery. </s> A woman walks out from the building of the National Commission of Telecommunications, in Caracas, Venezuela February 16, 2017. — Reuters pic CARACAS, Aug 25 — Venezuela’s government yesterday ordered cable television providers to cut the signal of two Colombian networks, a move that critics, including Colombia’s leader, called a crackdown on free speech by President Nicolas Maduro.

The country’s telecommunications regulator called for RCN and Caracol Television to be taken off the air for broadcasting a message it said incited Maduro’s murder, the office of Venezuela’s presidency said in a statement.

“The measure is within the bounds of the law, given that those stations over several months attacked Venezuela and (its) institutionality and now are openly calling for a magnicide,” the statement said, citing Andres Mendez, former head of telecom regulator Conatel.

The statement said the message in question was a comment by former Mexican President Vicente Fox, who said: “Maduro, resign or you will die.”

The decision was lambasted by Venezuelan opposition political leaders and Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who called it another sign that Venezuela was descending into dictatorship.

Caracol, which earlier announced its removal from Venezuelan cable networks, blasted Maduro for engaging in censorship.

RCN said on its evening news broadcast that it categorically rejected the action and that its signal had been cut off at 5:30pm.

Maduro often criticizes neighboring Colombia for being part of a right-wing conspiracy to bring down socialism in oil-rich Venezuela. He says Venezuela is the victim of an “economic war” led by adversaries with the help of Washington.

Critics say Venezuela’s ruling Socialist Party, which this year led a campaign to create an all-powerful legislative superbody, is seeking to limit coverage of rampant inflation, product shortages and a crackdown on opposition politicians.

“One more channel off the airwaves! Has that made crime go down? Is inflation any lower? Is there more food? More medicine? Has any problem been solved?” opposition leader Henrique Capriles said yesterday.

Maduro alleges he is fighting well-financed coup plotters with links to the United States and hostile foreign media.

“It’s another demonstration of a regime that doesn’t like freedoms, a regime that is restricting the freedoms of citizens,” Colombia’s Santos told journalists.

Earlier this year, Conatel suspended three television channels, including CNN’s Spanish-language service, from the airwaves, accusing them of distorting the truth in their coverage.

Authorities took Colombia’s NTN24 TV network off the air in 2014 over its reporting of opposition protests that turned violent, and blocked the Argentine news site Infobae. — Reuters </s> Colombia’s congress today passed an amnesty law for FARC rebels and Colombian soldiers who committed crimes during the country’s half-century-long civil war. It’s the first, and perhaps most crucial, of several laws entailed by the peace accord that the government and the FARC signed last month.

And since Colombia’s voters rejected an earlier version of the peace deal in a referendum—in part because some thought it was too soft on the rebels—the amnesty law will be a crucial step in cementing the peace process and giving former rebels a path back into civilian life.

But some will have a price to pay first.

The amnesty law (pdf, in Spanish) allows both FARC rebels and government troops to be pardoned for certain crimes, including killing in normal combat. But it doesn’t pardon war crimes, kidnapping, sexual violence, and torture.

A tribunal, the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (Spanish), will investigate those crimes. The sentences it hands out—which will depend in part on whether people admit and show contrition for their guilt—could include prison. But since the tribunal’s mission includes stabilizing the peace process and making reparations to victims, it will also impose alternative sentences (Spanish), such as construction or farm work in communities scarred by the fighting—or clearing land mines.

Colombia has more land mine victims than any other country except Afghanistan. Since 1990, mines have killed or injured more than 11,000 people, 39% of them civilians. More than 60% of the country’s 1,123 municipalities have reported having mines or other munitions lying around.

During their peace talks last year, the government and FARC agreed to work jointly on de-mining (Spanish). Since then a pilot project has managed to clear mines from five of the affected municipalities; the ambitious and probably unrealistic (pdf, p. 35) goal is for Colombia to be mine-free by March 1, 2021.

Nonetheless, de-mining is a crucial part of the peace process, putting former enemies to work together on healing the country’s divides. Colombian newspaper El Tiempo, reporting on the pilot project, described (Spanish) how an ex-FARC guerrilla and a soldier collaborated on clearing an area:

…two men walked together, talking constantly, as if they were team-mates, supporting one another at every dangerous step. Where the grass was high, they had to raise their hands to point out the mined areas. The one who did that and walked in front was the same man who had strategically placed the mines to set ablaze or to kill the one who, until two weeks earlier, had been his enemy. “This is one of the areas,” said the guerrilla to the sergeant. “Good. Let’s cordon it off,” the latter responded. The sergeant explained to the guerrilla the steps required to mark out the zone, and in turn, the bomb-maker showed him why he had sown [the mine] there and the method he’d used to make and install it. It was an exchange of information that, in another era, both sides would have guarded as the most sacred of their military secrets. They sat down together with a map of the pathway, and used a pencil to mark where the killing fields were and how to recognize them. They identified three areas and, together, they went there, cordoned them off, and put up the red signs with a skull and crossbones painted in the middle: “Danger. Mines. Do not enter. Stay away.”

Various de-mining organizations are already doing this kind of work, but they have been allowed to work only with FARC fighters who have been officially demobilized, not those who are still notionally active and considered criminals. While there are thousands of demobbed rebels, it’s the active FARC members who know best where the mines are.

The amnesty law and the special tribunal should make a lot of them available to the de-mining groups, as well as letting those groups reach previously rebel-held areas. That will be a big step in repairing the deep damage wrought by the civil war.
The Congress of Colombia unanimously approves a resolution to ban the production, commercialization, and distribution of asbestos.