What Happened: Former Colombian President Cesar Gaviria has said the current government of President Ivan Duque and the U.S. government have "conspired" to revoke the visas of three magistrates of the Colombian Constitutional Court and Supreme Court, El Heraldo reported May 15.
Why It Matters: Increasing pressure on Colombia's judiciary could convince currently demobilized members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that the government will not fully implement a 2016 peace deal. Such a development would delay or cancel the group's demobilization efforts, which could result in increased criminal activity and growing risks to private companies operating in Colombia.
Background: The United States has long used travel benefits as a tool to influence the behavior of foreign individuals and institutions, such as when it imposed a travel ban on former Colombian President Ernesto Samper. Duque has been pressuring the judiciary to delay or impair the FARC demobilization process by removing loopholes that granted amnesty to former members of the group.
Read More:
- Colombia: An Opposition Party Gives Peace a Chance (March 26, 2019)
- Colombia: After the Peace Deal, Crime Still Beckons to FARC Leaders (Aug. 17, 2018)
- Colombia: The New President Works to Build a Congressional Base (Aug. 7, 2018)
