EL ESPECTADOR, June 5, 2023
(Translated by Eunice Gibson, CSN Volunteer Translator)
Gustavo Petro and Karim Khan met behind closed doors at the Presidential Palace.
The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (CPI in Spanish) Karim Khan has landed in Colombia for an official visit. The first encounter he had in Colombian territory was this Monday, in a closed-door meeting with President Gustavo Petro at the Presidential Palace.
Petro was accompanied at the meeting by Foreign Minister Álvaro Leyva, and the Minister of Justice, Néstor Osuna. Just last Sunday, the President had made a statement on his Twitter account regarding the approach with the ICC that he was looking for: “As head of state, I have to decide whether the entrance of the International Criminal Court will make the violence worse, or whether it will help us build the peace by bringing out the truth.”
And in the same statement, he added, “I will seek a dialog with the courts to determine the best way to put an end to the impunity.”
The ICC visit to Colombia is also related to the joint effort that is being prepared between that court and the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP). Just a few weeks ago, Justice Roberto Vidal of the JEP explained that a joint work group was being commenced that would also nourish international law:
“What we are investigating right now is difficult to investigate, to understand, in international law. What we have asked these people is to ‘send us your experts’, and we will provide our experts from the JEP,” were the Justice’s words in an interview with journalist Yamid Amat.
Petro also made a statement a few days ago with reference to Justice Vidal’s announcement. “The government will give its complete support to the ICC in order for it to work together with the JEP to establish the pathways to the complete truth about the horrible dark night of genocide perpetrated in Colombia.”