Judicial courts in Mexico and Colombia issue landmark rulings

The Supreme Court of Justice of the Nation in Mexico has established a new legal criterion regarding witness testimony obtained through coercion. The Court ruled that when a key witness retracts a statement and alleges torture, authorities must investigate the claim, its impact, and the consequences for the defendant's defense. The Court noted that such torture violates the due process of the accused, as statements obtained through suffering may contain unfounded accusations. If torture is proven, the testimony may be disqualified as evidence in criminal proceedings.

In a separate judicial development, the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia denied the extradition of Venezuelan activist Gabriel José Carrillo Delgado. Although Venezuela requested his extradition for intentional homicide in Maracaibo, the Colombian Criminal Chamber concluded there were sufficient elements to suggest the criminal process was being used to mask political persecution due to his membership in the Voluntad Popular party. The Court cited intelligence documents from 2016 indicating Carrillo was considered a strategic target due to his political activism, leading the court to rule that the request was not a standard mechanism of judicial cooperation.