The Foreign Ministry’s response to the IACHR’s request was made to the Executive Secretariat of the agency
Foreign Minister Marta Lucía Ramírez led the delegation that responded to the IACHR’s request. Photo: Infobae Archive.
Today, Friday, June 3, the Colombian State responded to the request of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) to expand the information on the dismissal of the mayor of Medellín, Daniel Quintero, in response to his request for precautionary measures to return the mayor of the capital Antioquia.
The State’s response to the Executive Secretariat of the IACHR was in the hands of a delegation led by the Vice President and Foreign Minister, Marta Lucía Ramírez, who considered Quintero’s request inadmissible.
In the meeting between the Colombian delegation and the IACHR, Foreign Minister Ramírez highlighted “the compatibility of the functions of the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation in investigations of disciplinary offenses committed by a public servant, with the international obligations of the State and with the existence of adequate and effective procedural resources in Colombia” they pointed out from the Foreign Ministry in a statement.
Subsequently, it was clarified that both Mayor Quintero, as well as any other official, have procedural resources at their disposal to resolve any controversy that has arisen from the actions of the disciplinary authorities at the national level, however, the statement did not mention specified what these remedies were.
Following this line of argument, Foreign Minister Ramírez dismissed Quintero’s request because “the inadmissibility of the precautionary measures requested was demonstrated and, therefore, of the activation of the competence of this international body in the present case”.
During the meeting, the Colombian delegation emphasized the promotion of the guarantee of the political rights of citizens, “it cannot mean the weakening of the institutional design, nor of the existing legal framework in the country and in the region, to advance effective and transparent control of the public function, as an essential condition to guarantee democratic solidity and the consequent respect and promotion of human rights”.
Likewise, the team led by Ramírez explained the actions that the State has carried out to protect personal and family safety, as well as Quintero Calle’s access to justice.
Furthermore, it emphasized “in the reasoned nature of the provisional suspension within the disciplinary process, demonstrating that far from there being any scenario of persecution against Mr. Quintero, identical measures have been adopted in the current electoral contest, at least in the case of other four public officials, with different political positions”.
IACHR asks the Colombian Government for more information on the dismissal of the mayor of Medellín
It is worth remembering that the meeting between the delegation led by Foreign Minister Ramírez and the Secretariat Executive of the IACHR is given within the period of 10 working days that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights gave to the Colombian State to respond to its request to expand the information on the dismissal of the mayor of Medellín.
This request was made through a two-page letter, in which it is argued that the objective of accessing additional data is to be able to study the precautionary measures requested by Daniel Quintero to return to office as mayor of the capital of Antioquia.
“I comply with informing you that, on this date, the Commission sent a request for information to the State in relation to the situation of Daniel Quintero Calle. (…) I allow myself to inform you that, in order to have the elements of judgment necessary to adopt a decision on the request made, it has been considered pertinent to request additional information,” the IACHR indicated.
Among the information requested by the IACHR is to deliver an updated report regarding the procedural status, both of the disciplinary investigation, and of the tutela action filed in favor of Quintero. The corresponding documentary support must be attached and the applicable internal regulatory framework must be specified.
Likewise, the IACHR requested “provide individual and detailed information on the risk situation” where Quintero and his family live. In particular, it was requested, through a detailed, chronological and individualized account, to indicate the circumstances of time, manner, place and authorship of the risk events to which the president has been exposed as of February 2022. If possible, It was also requested to provide the corresponding documentary support such as audios, photographs, screenshots, documents, pamphlets, etc.
Finally, the Commission requested to know if Quintero had already reported the alleged facts to the authorities and to know if he had requested protection measures at the internal level. If applicable, provide the respective documentary support. Also, information must be provided “precisely” about the conformation of the protection scheme, as well as detailing its effectiveness and suitability.