Colombia budget cuts threaten transitional justice court, victims warn

The Special Jurisdiction for Peace was created under Colombia's 2016 peace deal with the FARC to investigate and prosecute crimes from the six-decade conflict, which has left more than 450,000 people dead and more than 100,000 reported missing. Victims such as Angela Cordon, whose father and uncle went missing in 2003, say the court has provided answers the regular justice system could not. "Fewer resources mean fewer missions to the field to find answers, less humanitarian personnel," Cordon told Al Jazeera, saying cuts could mean they would never be able to return to the site.

De la Espriella has defended the cuts as a fiscal necessity, writing in a September statement that it is his duty to manage spending and allocate limited resources to a justice system that serves everyone. His overall 2027 budget reached a record 634 trillion pesos ($200bn), but he singled out JEP for reductions. He has also been a vocal critic of the court, calling it slow and ineffective. In a radio interview, he accused JEP of "persecuting the heroes of the homeland" while "washing the hands of the guerrillas who committed crimes against humanity."

Victims' rights lawyer Ana Maria Rodriguez dismissed the accusations of bias as "patently false," noting that JEP has convicted top FARC leaders. She acknowledged the court has not been perfect, but said budget cuts would lead to fewer convictions, furthering impunity. "Many of the perpetrators have never faced any justice mechanisms outside of the JEP," she said. She predicted the cuts would be "absolutely disastrous for victims."

Alberto Yepes of the Colombia-Europe-United States Coordination Group said he sees a connection between attacks on JEP and de la Espriella's heavy-handed approach to law enforcement. Yepes believes the president may seek to prevent future prosecution of military leaders in cases involving state crimes by weakening JEP. He said de la Espriella's security platform is modelled on hardline programmes in El Salvador and Ecuador, where police and soldiers have been granted expanded powers. "De la Espriella is making decisions for a minority of the people that will benefit from these policies," Yepes said.

More than 20 Colombian congress members have signed an open letter to the International Criminal Court, saying they are concerned that the budget's approval will jeopardise investigations and trials. The Senate committee has also advanced a bill to dissolve JEP by March 2028 and transfer its functions to the general court system.