Colombian Congressman Miguel Polo Polo Arrested for Contempt Over Apology Order

A Bogotá court confirmed a three‑day arrest and a fine of eight minimum‑wage salaries for Congressman Miguel Polo Polo after he was found in contempt of a Constitutional Court ruling. The ruling required him to issue a public apology to the Association of Mothers of False Positives (MAFAPO) for discarding boots from the artistic exhibition “Mujeres con las botas bien puestas,” which honors victims of extrajudicial executions.

Polo Polo failed to publish the required apology, did not attend the re‑installed exhibition in the Capitol’s Rafael Núñez courtyard, and ignored a deadline set by the court. The Tribunal’s decision, based on an earlier judgment by the Constitutional Court, affirmed the lower court’s order and mandated that the congressman demonstrate compliance with the reparative measures.

The sanction reflects the judiciary’s effort to enforce symbolic reparations for victims of the armed conflict and to uphold the legal obligations of public officials in Colombia.