Bogotá court orders concealment of videos showing Colombia president near bodies
The provisional order concerns graphic posts from President Abelardo de la Espriella’s official Instagram account and does not require their permanent deletion.
A Bogotá court has provisionally ordered Colombian President Abelardo de la Espriella to conceal social media videos appearing to show him walking among bodies described as those of alleged guerrillas killed by the armed forces.
The order followed a petition from a Green Party lawmaker seeking the removal of the videos. According to the court document reported by France 24 and AFP, the posts must be concealed while a final ruling is pending.
The videos, posted on the presidency’s official Instagram account, reportedly show bodies in white plastic bags. The identities of those shown and the circumstances of their deaths have not been established in the available source material.
The court stressed that its decision did not amount to definitive deletion of the posts. It is therefore a temporary measure while the legal proceedings continue.
De la Espriella took office last month and has launched an offensive against armed groups involved in Colombia’s cocaine trade. France 24 reported that the military has carried out three bombing raids in the Amazon region and on the border with Venezuela, with at least 42 people killed, including six minors.
Colombia, described in the report as the world’s largest cocaine producer, is experiencing its worst violence in a decade. The country has also joined the Shield of the Americas, a US-backed anti-cartel alliance involving several Latin American countries.
