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Una mujer de espaldas sube las escalinatas de un tribunal de piedra con columnas en un día gris en Londres
Imagen alusiva a la audiencia de extradición en Londres. · Imagen generada para EPM

Zulma Guzmán extradition left pending between London and Colombia

The decision on Zulma Guzmán's extradition to Colombia was left pending because the London hearing coincided with the charging hearing scheduled by Colombian…

--- The context --- The legal situation of Zulma Guzmán is being discussed in two countries. The Bogotá businesswoman has been detained in the United Kingdom since December 2025 and is under investigation in Colombia for the alleged shipment of raspberries with thallium that, according to Colombian authorities, caused the death of two minors and poisoned two other teenagers in Bogotá, in events in April 2025. --- The facts --- The initial hearing in the extradition process was scheduled in London for Monday, November 2, 2026, but it did not take place. That proceeding coincided with the filing of charges prosecutors scheduled in Colombia, and authorities must now decide which process takes precedence. Prosecutors summoned the businesswoman virtually for November 9, when they intend to formally charge her over the April 2025 events. According to reports, the process ran into setbacks in London after prosecutors presented new charging documentation, which forced a review of the planned order. --- The positions --- The defense asked for the extradition process to be postponed until 2027 so that the charging hearing in Colombia could go first. According to reports, the British judge did not look favorably on that proposal and continued with the proceeding, while the process continues to establish whether she should be handed over. Colombia is weighing extradition or expulsion for the woman under investigation to answer before its courts. Prosecutors maintain they have evidentiary material, and the November 9 proceeding would allow them to formally communicate the offenses attributed to her. --- What remains unknown --- It is not defined which process will go first or whether either proceeding will be rescheduled. Several people linked to the case will be called to testify, and psychiatrists will take part to examine the detainee's mental state. --- Unanswered questions --- Which process will take precedence, the extradition in London or the charging hearing in Colombia? Will either proceeding be rescheduled after this Tuesday's decision? How will the assessment of the detainee's mental state affect the timetable of the process? --- EPM analysis --- The case became trapped in a clash of timetables that demands coordination and guarantees. Without a definition on precedence, any step could be challenged by the other jurisdiction, affect the rights of the woman under investigation, who retains her presumption of innocence, and delay answers awaited by the families. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, the priority must be a clear order that protects due process without turning the clash of proceedings into a path to impunity. Resolving precedence this Tuesday, November 3, 2026, will give certainty to the defense, to prosecutors and to the families, and will allow the charging hearing and the possible handover to move forward under known rules, without overreach or unnecessary delays for any party involved in this process.
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