The Criminal Court of the Supreme Court of Justice (SCJ) ordered the release of Jesús Santrich on 29 May, indicating that his case will be processed at the Trial Chamber. The decision also means that the Attorney General's Office has lost the power to charge him of alleged drug trafficking crimes. The six magistrates of the Criminal Court decided unanimously that Santrich, being an elected congressman of the FARC party, could not be prosecuted by the Public Prosecutor's Office and that deprivation of liberty is contrary to his fundamental rights. The communique of the SCJ also stated that his investiture as a congressman will be recognized.¹

The Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP) opened a case of verification of non-compliance on 30 May against Iván Márquez, the former head of the negotiating team of the FARC-EP, as he repeatedly failed to appear at the JEP and comply with his obligations. The Jurisdiction will evaluate the benefits to be taken away from the former leader, including withdrawing his position as a congressman. Márquez, whose whereabouts have been unknown for almost a year, defended his absence claiming "lack of guarantees in terms of security”.²

The Constitutional Court has ratified the validity of the Senate decision to reject the presidential objections to the Statutory Law of the JEP, which caused debate last month as to whether the 47 votes against the objections constituted the minimum required.  The High Court indicated that there was a quorum during the Senate plenary and, therefore, the President will have to pass the law. The United Nations Verification Mission in Colombia (UNVMC) expressed its satisfaction with the judicial ruling in a public announcement, which stated that the decision will reduce legal uncertainty and facilitate the establishment of a clear legal framework for the JEP’s procedures and functioning.³

In the Territorial Spaces for Training and Reincorporation of La Variante, in Tumaco, 73 former FARC-EP combatants organized the 'First Festival for Memory, Life and Hope', with the support of the communities of La Variante and La Playa. The cultural, artistic and sport events promoting coexistence and reconciliation were also supported by the Agency for Reincorporation and Normalization, the National Learning Service, FAO and the UNVMC. ⁴

During the last six months 13 candidates for October’s regional elections from the Pacific region have been threatened, attacked or assassinated. Reports made by the Electoral Observation Mission have confirmed that Valle del Cauca has the highest incident rate (nine cases), followed by Cauca (two), Nariño (one) and Chocó (one).⁵