Colombian President Iván Duque sentenced to 5 days of house arrest for contempt

The president of Colombia, Iván Duque, was sentenced on Saturday to five days of house arrest for disobeying a court order to protect Los Nevados National Natural Park, located in the Eje Cafetero region.

The Superior Court of Ibagué published the ruling for contempt of a Supreme Court of Justice order in which it declared the Park as a "subject of rights."

The ruling considers that the government headed by Duque has not complied with the creation of a Special Command of the Public Force for environmental crimes in this national park.

"To declare in contempt of the order given in paragraph (i) by the Labor Cassation Chamber of the Honorable Supreme Court of Justice in sentence STL10716 of 2020, to the President of the Republic of Colombia, Doctor IVÁN DUQUE MÁRQUEZ, in accordance with the motivating part of this ruling," states the document of the Superior Court of Ibagué cited by DW News.

Therefore, Duque is imposed a "measure of house arrest for five (5) days, for the compliance of which the director of the National Police or the superior officer in charge of the police functions at the Palacio de Nariño and a fine equivalent to fifteen (15) legal monthly minimum wages in force."

In December 2020, the Supreme Court of Justice gave national, departmental, and local authorities a final deadline of one year to implement a joint plan for the recovery, maintenance, management and conservation of Los Nevados National Natural Park.