Found: Harold Ordoñez Botero 22 Nov 2021 | 74020 Asked by: Rachel Hopkins To ask the Secretary of State
Asked by: Rachel Hopkins (Labour - Luton South)
Question to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment she has made of the (a) detention of the former FARC combatant and signatory to the peace agreement Harold Ordoñez Botero on 29 August 2021 and (b) implications for his ongoing legal security.
Answered by Wendy Morton
The FCDO is aware of the arrest, and subsequent release due to lack of evidence, of former FARC combatant Harold Ordoñez Botero.
The UK has been a leading international advocate of Colombia's peace process, and supporting the Colombian Government in its commitment to implement the 2016 Peace Accords will remain a top priority. We will continue to support the Colombian Government's commitment to assisting former combatants in transitioning to civilian life, as agreed in the 2016 peace agreement. We have committed more than £68 million over 5 years through our Conflict, Stability, and Security Fund to support reintegration, rural development, and security across conflict-affected regions. We have done this through programmes designed to build state capacity to ensure the safety of former combatants, and of other vulnerable individuals and groups, including outside of official reincorporation zones.