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Fotografía de prensa que acompaña la nota de El Espectador sobre la aprobación de la Ley de Sometimiento en el Congreso
La Cámara de Representantes aprobó la Ley de Sometimiento con 95 votos a favor y 10 en contra y completó su trámite en el Congreso. · El Espectador

The Submission Law completes its passage and goes to presidential sanction

The Chamber of Representatives approved the Submission Law with 95 votes in favor and 10 against, and the Senate with 57 in favor and 24 against.

The Chamber of Representatives and the Senate approved the Submission Law of President Abelardo De La Espriella's Government, completing its passage through Congress and sending it to presidential sanction. --- The context --- The initiative was filed on October 13 by the then Minister of the Interior, Rodrigo Lara, and the Minister of Justice, Iván Cancino, and its passage through the Capitol took 22 days. The urgency responded to the text having this November 4 as its deadline, the same day on which the validity of the Public Order Law that this norm modifies expired. That law is the legal basis with which the Government already materializes its criminal submission strategy and the end of the previous administration's total peace policy. --- The facts --- The approval took place this Tuesday, November 3. According to the votes cited by Reuters, the Senate approved the initiative with 57 votes in favor and 24 against, and the Chamber of Representatives with 95 in favor and 10 against. The head of State must sanction the law this Wednesday, November 4. With the approval, according to El Espectador, the Government seals its security policy and closes the door to any negotiation or peace process with criminal groups. --- The positions --- President De La Espriella reacted near midnight celebrating the approval and thanking the Minister of Justice, Iván Cancino, for his extraordinary work, commitment and dedication to move this important initiative forward. Minister Cancino explained that the law sets a limit to access parole, a 4-year validity — the initial project carried 10 — and a hard line against recruiters of minors, who will not be able to access benefits. Cancino stressed that there is no suspension of arrest warrants, no suspension of extradition orders and no negotiation process: whoever does not meet all the requirements is expelled immediately to ordinary justice. The rapporteur in the Chamber, Daniel Briceño, summed up the close of the debate by declaring that today really is the end of total peace. Senator Hernán Cadavid confirmed that this norm put an end to the failed total peace policy. --- What remains unknown --- The schedule for applying the law once sanctioned and the regulations that must accompany its entry into operation are not detailed. --- Unanswered questions --- When will the president sign the sanction of the Submission Law? How will the limit to access parole be applied? What regulations will accompany the 4-year validity set for the norm? How will the immediate expulsion to ordinary justice of whoever does not meet the requirements operate? --- EPM analysis --- The law reaches sanction with broad majorities in both chambers and with express conditions: limited validity, a ceiling for parole and exclusion of benefits for recruiters of minors. 📌 EPM Take: In EPM's view, the Submission Law is right to pass with clear majorities in the Senate and the Chamber and to set verifiable conditions: a 4-year validity, a limit to access parole and no suspension of arrest warrants or extradition orders. That combination subjects the security strategy to written rules and a defined term, instead of leaving it to the discretion of each moment. The final assessment will depend on this Wednesday's presidential sanction, on the regulations issued and on the effective application of the norm against criminal groups across the country, under the requirements the law itself establishes.
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