Colombia allows police to enter universities over violence
Sept. 14 (UPI) — Colombian President Abelardo De La Espriella announced a new national protocol authorizing National Police officers to enter public universities when acts of vandalism, violence or terrorism occur on campus.
De La Espriella said Sunday in a public address that “university autonomy is not a license for impunity” and does not take precedence over public order. He said that under the new protocol, police will become the “primary operational authority” in such situations.
According to local media reports, including Blu Radio and Noticias Caracol, the Colombian government will establish guidelines for police action at universities to distinguish peaceful protests from situations that involve violence, crimes in progress, imminent danger or serious disruptions to public order.
De La Espriella denounced what he described as the infiltration of universities by illegal armed groups and said “universities must be reclaimed, and those who most need them to be reclaimed are the students themselves.”
Discussing how security operations should be conducted, De La Espriella said authorities should prioritize intelligence gathering.
“The first thing that needs to happen is that, through intelligence and with the cooperation of university administrators and the academic community, those who do not belong to the university are removed,” he said.
Hours later, Colombia’s Justice Ministry issued a statement emphasizing that “university autonomy is a constitutional guarantee that must be protected,” but that it “does not mean universities are outside the Constitution, the law or the legitimate authority of government institutions.”
The ministry added that protecting public order and physical safety takes precedence over institutional autonomy, requiring police to intervene immediately as a last resort in cases involving crimes in progress or serious violence, Infobae reported.
De La Espriella’s announcement came after student protests caused severe traffic disruptions across Bogotá on Friday.
The demonstrations escalated into clashes between masked protesters and security forces. The protests also caused property damage at the National University’s newspaper and periodicals archive. Because of the severity of the unrest and the use of dangerous devices, university officials ordered a full evacuation of the campus.
During his Sunday address, De La Espriella also described a tense security situation nationwide, reporting 17,147 arrests across Colombia during the first 36 days since he took office Aug. 7.