‘A clear abuse of power’: HRW condemns dismissal of Bogota’s mayor

[Judi Lynn]

‘A clear abuse of power’: HRW condemns dismissal of Bogota’s mayor
Mar 20, 2014 posted by Philip Acuña

“Colombia is taking an unfortunate decision,” says Jose Miguel Vivanco, director of the Americas Division of Human Rights Watch.

In a strongly worded statement released Wednesday night, Vivanco criticizes President Juan Manuel Santos’ decision to dismiss an injunction filed by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR).

Vivanco describes President Santos’ decision as, “A serious judicial error, because in regards to this issue, there are clear and binding laws defined by the constitutional court.”

Bogota’s Mayor

Gustavo Petro, Bogota’s former mayor, was removed from office in December 2013 due to alleged “irregularities” that were uncovered in his attempts to transfer the city’s privatized garbage collection system into public hands. This allegedly resulted in 9,920 tons of uncollected garbage left on the streets. As a result, Colombia’s Inspector General, Alejandro Ordoñez, decided to dismiss the city’s mayor and ban him from serving in public office for 15 years.

More:
http://colombiareports.co/clear-abuse-power-human-right-watch-condemns-dismissal-bogotas-mayor/

[gbscar]

1. IACHR prioritizes ruling on Colombia’s refusal to keep Bogota mayor in office

The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR) said Thursday that it will discuss possible steps to take in response to Colombian president Juan Manuel Santos’ decision to ignore an international ruling ordering him to not allow the dismissal of Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro.

(...)

A high-level official IACHR official told Colombia Reports that it is too early to say what actions the commission might take in light of this affront to its authority, but that this is not the first instance that an Organization of American States (OAS) member has skirted an IACHR ruling.

The official, who did not wish to speak as to the commission’s intentions and stressed that any move on the part of the IACHR will come only after extensive deliberation, explained that while the IACHR is — in theory — a binding international body whose members agree to adhere to its statutes and decisions, the true scope of the commission’s power is frequently called into question.

As an example, the official mentioned a 2011 incident in which Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff reacted with similar contempt for an IACHR ruling blocking the construction of a major dam project in the country’s Amazon River Basin. Rousseff expressed outrage at the IACHR intervention, and temporarily recalled Brazil’s ambassador to the OAS following the decision.

The Brazil dispute dragged on through a complicated two-year reform process in the IACHR’s basic structure, but the incident is by no means unique, the official said. Member states frequently disregard IACHR rulings, most of which are not as high-profile as the Petro decision.

“The problem is the same one you see with all international organizations. There is authority on paper, but little real ability to enforce decisions, outside of the members’ willingness to conform to them,” said the official, who said that Santos’ actions are in clear violation of the IACHR ruling.

http://colombiareports.co/international-court-discuss-santos-noncompliance/