The General Command of the Military Forces, through the Institutional Legal Staff Sub-Directorate - SEMJI, held its recent Inter-institutional Legal Conference with great success, consolidating as a fundamental space for updating and debating legal matters within the institution.
The academic activity began with a solemn tribute to the soldiers, sailors and airmen of the Military Forces and the National Police who have died in the line of duty, followed by the opening remarks of Admiral Francisco Hernando Cubides Granados, General Commander of the Military Forces, who highlighted the relevance of the conference for the strengthening of institutional legal knowledge.
The event held at the Batalla de Ayacucho auditorium of the Superior War College, brought together the Minister of National Defense, Pedro Sánchez Suárez; the Minister of Justice and Law, Ángela María Buitrago, high military commanders, delegates of the Attorney General's Office, lawyers of the Military Forces, academics and representatives of various State institutions, together with expert lawyers to analyze, dialogue and strengthen the legal, strategic and military operations understanding of phenomena that directly hinder the fulfillment of the constitutional mission of the Military Forces and other institutions in charge of justice and fundamental rights in Colombia.
During the conference, an intensive and enriching academic activity was provided, structured in three thematic panels and three specialized presentations:
The first panel focused on Legitime defense in the framework of military operations was moderated by the criminal lawyer Camilo Burbano Cifuentes. It was attended by the Military and Police Criminal Prosecutor General, Brigadier General Marco Aurelio Bolívar Suárez; the Specialized Director Against Criminal Organizations, Nelson Andrés Escobar López; the Delegated Prosecutor for the Defense of Humans Rights, Néstor Iván Osuna Patiño; the Researcher of the Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, Hernán Darío Orozco López, who analyzed the complexity, timeliness and sensitivity of this crucial issue, addressing the limits of human operation in the face of danger and the proportional use of force by soldiers, sailors and airmen in military operation contexts.
The second panel dealt with Sedition in the framework of military operations. Under the moderation of the political scientist Carlos Enrique Álvarez Calderón. This panel was attended by the Minister of Justice and Law, Ángela María Buitrago; the Deputy Public Defender, Roberto Molina Palacios; the Prosecutor 126 Specialized in DD.HH., Claudia Patricia Niño López; and Captain Carlos Alberto Madrid Cuellar, Deputy Prosecutor before the Superior Military justice Court. The panelists provided a comprehensive view on the challenges, responsibilities and legal frameworks surrounding the operations of the Military Forces in environments of disturbance of law and order.
Subsequently, the third panel, specialized in the Illicit Recruitment of Children and Adolescents, was opened. It was moderated by the criminal lawyer Yesid Reyes Alvarado. It was attended by the Assistant Magistrate of the Constitutional Court, Johana del Pilar Cortés Nieto; the Judicial Prosecutor 2 (Family), Virgilio Hernández Castellanos; the Delegated Defender for Childhood and Old Age, Ana María Sánchez Guevara, and the Researcher of the Department of Criminal Law and Criminology Laura Zambrano Ochoa. The experts shared experiences and knowledge to strengthen understanding and response strategies to this serious problem.
In the same way, three keynote presentations were offered on the constitutional mission of the Military Forces, by the former magistrate of the Constitutional Court, José Gregorio Hernández; the current situation of the total peace process, led by General Hugo Alejandro López Barreto, Chief of the Joint Chiefs of Staff of the Military Forces; and Respect for human rights and implementation of IHL in the framework of military operations, by Major General Juan Carlos Correa, deputy chief of Staff for Joint Operations.
The active participation of the attendees and the exchange of knowledge conducted by the different levels of the institution confirm the commitment of the General Command of the Military Forces to continuous training and the strengthening of the culture of legality in its ranks.
With this important event, the General Command of the Military Forces ratifies its institutional commitment to a solid military operations doctrine, legally supported and aligned with the highest standards of legitimacy, transparency, and respect for the rule of law.
Source: Strategic Communications General Command of the military forces
