Colombia’s Supreme Court has ordered the release of Jesús Santrich, a senior guerrilla commander turned elected official, saying the former rebel could be sworn in as a congressmember under the terms of Colombia’s 2016 peace accord, which ended more than a half-century of civil war. The agreement grants limited amnesty to FARC rebels who lay down arms and confess crimes—including immunity to extradition. Santrich had been jailed at the request of the Trump administration, which is seeking to try him for cocaine trafficking based on an indictment by federal prosecutors in New York. Santrich’s release was a rare rebuke of the Trump administration by the right-wing government of President Iván Duque.
Colombia Releases Ex-Guerrilla Leader Wanted by the U.S. on Drug Charges
HeadlineMay 31, 2019