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1 1 (July 29, 2022)

handle is hein.crs/goveida0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Congressional Research Service Informing the IegisIative debate since 1914 0 July 29, 2022 Colombia: Police Reform and Congressional Concerns In July 2021, Colombian President Ivan Duque announced reforms to the Colombian National Police (CNP). This announcement followed public and international demands for reform after the Colombian government's crackdown on widespread protests between April and June 2021. A landmark presidential election in June 2022 is to bring to power the country's first leftist president, who may seek significant changes to the police reform program. Some Members of the U.S. Congress remain closely engaged with overseeing long-standing U.S. efforts to support the CNP with assistance programs, training, and equipment. 2021 Protests and Aftermath Protests that began in early 2021 initially focused on a government-proposed tax reform but later expanded to include opposition to rising inequality and corruption, among other issues. According to a 2022 report by the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR; see excerpt below), 46 people were killed (44 civilians and 2 police officers) and thousands were injured during the protests. The United Nations attributed 28 killings to Colombia's police and 10 of those to Colombia's anti-riot police, the Escuadron Mdvil Antidisturbios, or ESMAD. The CNP's response to the mostly nonviolent national protests damaged the CNP's image and called into question police capacity to manage civilian protest. Past unresolved allegations of police brutality, coupled with the CNP's handling of the 2021 protests, heightened public demands to investigate and end police abuse. In August 2021, some 63% of Colombians polled viewed the CNP negatively, a 10% jump from the year before. The National Strike that began on 28 April was a mostly peaceful civic mobilization, with unprecedented participation by young people, which sought to make an impact on inequality and economic, social and political exclusion.... OHCHR welcomes the creation of the human rights directorate of the National Police in August. It also encourages the State to promote a broad national debate on the reforms to be made within the police, including its internal oversight and accountability mechanisms. It also believes it is important to adopt legislative initiatives for the profound transformation of the National Police's mobile anti-riot squad, including a review of its protocols on the use of force and less lethal weapons and ammunition, so that they comply with international norms and standards. - U.N. OHCHR, Situation of Human Rights in Colombia: Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, A/HRC/49/19. March 2022. Globally, many rights groups and governments condemned ESMAD; domestically, public approval of the Colombian anti-riot police declined. In response to the criticism, in July 2021, President Duque announced a package of reforms, the Integral Transformation of the National Police (Integral Reform), to professionalize the CNP and increase its public accountability. CNP Background and Reform Efforts The CNP is a centralized institution. The general director of the police leads the institution and is appointed by the president. Although the CNP and its personnel are civilian in nature, the institution is situated under the authority of Colombia's defense ministry and is structured to resemble a military institution. Despite their civilian status, Colombian police are not allowed the right to vote, as is the case for military personnel. The CNP is divided into eight geographical regions, which comprise metropolitan and departmental areas. It has eight advisory offices and is further organized into seven functional directorates, as well as divisions for human capital and resource management. To date, the Duque government has enacted two laws to realize the Integral Reform. The first, the Career and Professionalization Statute (Law 2179 of December 30, 2021), seeks to professionalize the institution and creates a new ranking, the patrulleros (patrols). This ranking provides further opportunities for police to advance their careers based on good performance and time in service. The second law, the Police Disciplinary Statute (Law 2196 of January 18, 2022), outlines disciplinary measures for police who violate citizens' rights guaranteed in the Colombian Constitution, as well as those outlined in international human rights accords to which Colombia is party. It also calls for the inspector general (IG) of the police to present a report on the management of disciplinary issues to the Colombian Congress each year. Further changes include the creation of a new office to enforce human rights protections. In July 2021, President Duque appointed retired police officer Colonel Luis Alfonso Novoa Diaz to head the new office. Novoa is a human rights lawyer and former adviser to the U.S. State Department and the United Nations, and his appointment drew praise from the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Colombia. Novoa supports further human rights training as a mandatory requirement for police advancement. The reform agenda also seeks to bring the police closer to the public through citizen engagement. New programs such as Soy joven y estoy contigo (I'm Young and I'm with You) seek to facilitate interaction between youth and the police. The creation of a new human rights institute also aims to serve this goal, providing a way for academics and civil society to promote human rights and citizen security.

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