“Colombia's limits can only be modified through international treaties ratified by Congress”: Duque

This Wednesday, April 20, President Iván Duque referred to the ruling that will be issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on the lawsuit that Colombia has been facing for several years with Nicaragua over the sovereignty over maritime territory in the vicinity of the archipelago of San Andrés, Providencia and Santa Catalina.

The president, who is planning a visit to this region of the Colombian Caribbean, severely affected by Hurricane Iota, to deliver some works that were delayed, assured that this ruling would be applied as long as a treaty is made with the Central American nation as established by the Constitution.

“Our Constitution is very clear, it defines in article 101 that Colombia's limits can only be modified through international treaties ratified by Congress. And something very important, there was a pronouncement by the Constitutional Court in 2014 that also indicated that this axial axis of territoriality is first recognized and that the limits are only modifiable by treaties,” said the head of state.

In this regard, he noted that in this instance in which the country is located, the interest in defending the archipelago of San Andrés, which suffered the impact of two natural disasters, has become clear, as well as the rights of the Raizal community, that is, the inhabitants of this department who have historically been absent from the State,

He also assured that in the defense of the interests of the country, sovereignty and the rights of the Raizal population, there is no distinction in political colors or partisan interests, and at the same time he issued an invitation to unity in the face of this decision, which will be determined by the 17 judges who make up the Court in the longest lawsuit it has ever had than to face the international tribunal after the three lawsuits filed by Nicaragua.

“I think it is clear what the International Court of Justice has said and what we have said as State policy. I think that the most important thing right now is that we have that principle of national unity for the defense of this historical and indivisible archipelago, national unity for the protection of our root communities and the most important thing that there are no political colors,” said President Iván Duque.

It should be noted that since 2013 Colombia hired a team of lawyers with whom it has faced the international process. The fees that the country has paid to the professionals who lead this case almost amount to nine billion pesos. The pair that leads the defense team earn an average of 43 million pesos per month since 2013, this would be 8.7 billion in total.

Although Colombia's defense team to The Hague is led by former Council of State judge Carlos Gustavo Arrieta and former Attorney General Manuel José Cepeda Espinosa, six other lawyers specializing in Public International Law also participate.

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