Bogota, Colombia: Launch of International Judicial Forum "New Proposals for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide"

Monday, September 22, 2014

In Bogota the "Justice for Peace" International Judicial Forum "New Proposals for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide," was inaugurated, with the objective to generate constructive critical thinking about the insight of the international crime of genocide.

With more than 1,000 people registered, at the Benjamin Herrera Auditorium in the Universidad Libre of Colombia, 14 legal experts from seven Latin American countries formed the honorable presidium, headed by Dr. Luis Gabriel Buelvas Miranda, President of the Supreme Court of Colombia; Dr. Jesus Hernando Alvarez Mora, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the Universidad Libre; Dr. William Soto Santiago, Global Ambassador of Activists for Peace; Dr. Camilo Montoya Reyes, Prosecutor before the Superior Court of Bogotá.

Colombia was the site chosen for the opening of this project sponsored by the Global Embassy of Activists for Peace, because it keeps the longest internal armed conflict, and the last one in the Western Hemisphere.

As stated by the Chairman: Dr. Juan Manuel Santos, in his speech to the General Assembly of the United Nations in 2013:

"It is currently going through a peace process and it is one of the nations that has recognized in its domestic law the crime of political genocide. It is estimated that over these 50 years more than 220 thousand people have died because of this conflict. That's more than double the casualties of the Bosnian War in Former Yugoslavia. "

Dr. William Soto, promoter of this initiative, thanked magistrates and ministers of the Superior Courts and tribunals present as well as judges, prosecutors and advocates of Latin America, lawyers, academics and students, for their contributions that will benefit humanity:

"With my infinite gratitude to the Universidad Libre, and with all of you for responding to this invitation, I formally declare the First International Judicial Forum "New Proposals for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide” open.”

During the morning lectures, in his presentation, the federal judge of the Republic of Argentina, Dr. Daniel Rafecas emphasized the Nazi Holocaust or Shoah as an essential starting point in genocide studies:

"Let's start by being alert in civil society, armed forces, propagation of hate speaches. If we could neutralize hate speeches we will prevent future genocides."

For his part, Dr. Martin Ubaldo Mariscal Rojas, Federal Magistrate of the Federal Judicature of Mexico, said in his speech:

"The jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court against the forms of the Crime of Genocide in the Twentieth Century":

"At the dawn of this century we see that this expression of genocide may be mutating and be presenting itself through other figures, not as strong as in the twentieth century, but equally harmful to human dignity."

Representing the indigenous people, the native leader Ati Quigua, former Councilwoman of Bogota, introduced attendees to the convergent of nature as a component of human beings:

"For us, the main victim of war nature. And the disorders are disguised in religious and political conflicts, but they are natural. "

The student representative of the Faculty of Law, Andes University, Camilo Montoya Real, said in his speech:

"There are enough valid responses today so that young people do not run away from the responsibility on their shoulders, which prevent another genocide from happening again."

Finally, Dr. Jenny Camacho Quirós, Deputy Magistrate of Division III of the Supreme Court of Costa Rica, acknowledged that although in her country this capital crime has not taken place:

"No society is free from being immersed in conflicts such as genocide."

The event will run until 8:00 pm with lectures of seven other participants from Mexico, Panama, Argentina and Colombia.