Colombia Congress President clarifies military presence at Capitol

Honorio Henríquez, President of the Colombian Congress, clarified that he authorized the presence of armed military personnel on the terraces of the National Capitol during protests on October 14. Henríquez stated that the decision was made following a formal request from the security detail of former President Gustavo Petro to ensure his safety during demonstrations in Bogotá’s Plaza de Bolívar.

The deployment drew criticism from lawmakers, including Senator Jennifer Pedraza, who suggested the move was an executive operation to monitor social movements. However, Henríquez defended the action as a preventive measure aimed at protecting a public figure during a mass event, citing Decree 1066 of 2015 regarding protection measures for individuals at risk. He emphasized that the deployment was not an extraordinary government device intended to repress social mobilization, and the legislative body reaffirmed its commitment to guaranteeing peaceful demonstrations in the vicinity of Congress.