Fuerte choque entre el fiscal Francisco Barbosa y el ministro de Defensa Iván Velásquez: “Mientras yo sea fiscal general no habrá ninguna comisión de la ONU en Colombia”

One of the most significant clashes of ideas between the current Colombian government and the judiciary occurred last week. The new Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, declared the urgent need for a new UN Verification Mission to ensure that the country’s armed conflict would have a smooth end. However, the country’s Attorney General, Francisco Barbosa, fiercely contested the Minister’s announcement. He made clear his view that there was no need for another United Nations commission in a moment when Colombia is already crowded with similar bodies. He also emphasized that the current government’s job is not to involve foreign organizations for matters that should only be dealt with internally.

Barbosa further elaborated his assertions, stating that as the country’s current Attorney General, he would not allow any UN Verification Mission or any other foreign legal institution to intervene in Colombian affairs. Despite Velásquez’s pushback, Barbosa stuck to his stance. In his words, he affirmed that “while I am Attorney General, there will be no such commission in Colombia.”

This heated argument between the Attorney General and the Minister of Defense raises some essential questions about the country’s capacity to deal with its internal conditions and resolve its conflicts independently. It also highlights the ongoing divisive debate on the role of foreign organizations in Colombian domestic policies.

The controversy underscores the need for a deeper reflection regarding the external forces’ role within the country at a time when the government is called to strengthen its ability to deal with internal circumstances that have significant international resonance. The topic could be viewed in terms of how the current government is balancing the need for internal autonomy with the country’s prevailing external reality.