The former president of Colombia, Ivan Duque, stated on Thursday night (6) that letting organized crime continue to grow is a “mistake”. For the former head of state, Rio de Janeiro’s fight to dismantle criminal groups comes “at a good time”, referring to the mega-operation that left 121 people dead.
“Letting them continue to grow is a mistake, and I believe that at a good time, RJ is fighting to dismantle these criminal groups, and I applaud it,” declared the former president.
Ivan Duque participated this evening, alongside the minister of the STF (Supreme Federal Court), Gilmar Mendes, at the 1st Buenos Aires Forum, in Argentina.
Asked about how Colombia can teach Brazil about combating organized crime, the former president said that the first step is to stop thinking that “security is a discourse that only belongs to the right.”
According to Duque, it is necessary for the State and the judiciary to protect the most vulnerable, “because those who have better conditions have vehicles to protect themselves”.
“Of course, seeing this number of deaths is sad, heartbreaking, but I prefer to see an authority and see the political power, the power of the police and the judicial power committed to the dismantling of the criminal structures that often […] create invisible barriers and end up affecting democracy and stability”, said the former president, who also said he “applauded” Rio de Janeiro’s fight to dismantle criminal groups.
Ivan Duque also concluded by stating that currently many radical populist governments, in order to remain in power, have made alliances with criminal organizations. The former president accused governments of being permissive towards criminal organizations or “active in giving them privileged treatment, allowing them to attack and intimidate other political actors”.
