The new Government of Colombia has arranged the transfer of 117 inmates categorized as high-profile, many of them linked to various peace negotiation processes, to maximum-security prisons spread across the country. This is one of the first decisions of President Abelardo de la Espriella to toughen and reinforce control within the penitentiary system.
According to the Press Office of the Colombian Presidency in a statement released on social media, the National Penitentiary and Prison Institute (INPEC) has executed these movements following a direct instruction from the head of State.
According to the official note, the inmates have been relocated to correctional centers located in Bogotá, Medellín, Girón, Valledupar, La Dorada, Palmira, Ibagué, and El Barne, in order to disperse these prisoners and hinder their internal coordination.
The Executive has emphasized that the purpose of this operation is to increase security levels in the prisons and cut off any attempts by criminal structures to use the prisons as a platform to maintain their operational capacity, issue orders, or coordinate criminal actions from within.
This measure has been presented by the Presidency as part of a broader strategy aimed at regaining permanent control of the penitentiary centers and ensuring that the decisions of the judges are strictly enforced.
"This is one of the first decisions adopted by the National Government to regain permanent control of the prisons, guarantee strict compliance with the law, and ensure the effective execution of judicial orders," the statement notes.
The De la Espriella cabinet has reiterated that the penitentiary policy of his Administration will be applied "within the constitutional framework" and with the intention of reinforcing the authority of the State within the correctional establishments.
The new Colombian Executive has also issued a warning message to criminal organizations that intend to maintain their presence in the prisons and has emphasized that "those who intend to use the prisons as centers for criminal operations will be subjected to the full weight of the law."
This announcement comes just a few hours after the inauguration ceremony of De la Espriella as president of Colombia and is part of the new security policy of the Government, which sets as priorities the institutional strengthening of the penitentiary system and the reduction of the operational capacity of criminal organizations from within the prisons.