Since Francisco Barbosa’s entry into the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation, he has been accused of being positioned in that position thanks to his friendship with the former president of Colombia, Iván Duque Márquez, and it is that the same head of the investigated entity has indicated that For more than 25 years, the former Colombian head of state has been his best friend.
Both studied Law at the Sergio Arboleda University. In fact, it has been said that he was one of Duque’s closest officials and was considered the most important of his advisers, so the most recent statements by the prosecutor left more than one confused.
During the public hearing on February 1 of the First Commission of the House of Representatives, the Attorney General of the Nation was talking about the Total Justice and Peace Reform, at one point in his long speech he spoke of how important it was plurality in a democratic system and pointed out that he feels better in the government of President Gustavo Petro than in that of his best friend, former President Iván Duque Márquez.
“Every time we meet with President Gustavo Petro and I have said: ‘I do not agree’, I have found him open to listening, it must be said, in fact I feel more comfortable in this government than in the previous one,” said the president. Attorney General of the Nation, Francisco Barbosa.
“I am defending Gustavo Petro”: Francisco Barbosa on lawsuits for libel and slander
But other statements also left those who saw the video uneasy, since -although there have been talks in the past of the numerous clashes between Barbosa and Petro- the prosecutor pointed out that he was defending the ideals of Gustavo Petro through the lawsuits for insult and slander.
It all started when the prosecutor exposed the risks of eliminating crimes such as libel and slander remains in the draft reform of the Penal Code, since the Executive says that this is restricting free expression and can contribute to the decongestion of the country’s prisons.
“I feel very proud when Vice President Francia Márquez came to my office and told me ‘prosecutor, I feel offended, they are ending my life. We must proceed, I am no longer going to reconcile’ and I told him: ‘let’s go and denounce that person (for libel and slander),” said the prosecutor, adding that if the elimination of this crime was approved, it would be in the reform of the Code Criminal next time I would say “I don’t give a damn about you, because now the cost of democracy is enduring infamy.”
“So, I am defending Gustavo Petro on this, what’s more, I ask for respect for Gustavo’s ideas in the framework of the hearings,” alluding to the fact that the president, as he has done in the past, has the right to access a sues whoever he believes is affecting him with libel and slander claims against him, even if he is a public official.
Prosecutor Francisco Barbosa pointed out that regardless of whether you are a public official, everyone has the right to a good name, and that lawsuits against libel and slander defend that right of all Colombians.
The head of the investigative body even pointed out that he has agreed to these demands when he has felt that with some message, such as that of some media, they violate his right to his good name. with Infobae