Colombia President Gustavo Petro Defends His Political Asylum Granted to Ricardo Martinelli
Colombia is the third country to recognize Martinelli as a “politically persecuted person,” a situation he has been denouncing for more than a year.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro has addressed those who question his decision to grant political asylum to former President Ricardo Martinelli, stating that he was respecting a universal right, as has been the case in the past. Petro recalled that Colombia, throughout its history, has granted political asylum to people of different nationalities regardless of their political ideology. “Colombia has been a land of asylum; it’s a universal right, regardless of whether you’re right-wing or left-wing,” he said. The Colombian president stated that Colombia must be what Panama has been, “a place of refuge, liberty, and free expression.”
According to the Colombian Foreign Ministry, the decision to grant political asylum to former President Ricardo Martinelli is based on observance of the pro persona principle and the country’s humanist tradition of protecting people persecuted for political reasons. With this ruling, Colombia becomes the third country to recognize Martinelli as a “politically persecuted person,” a situation he has been denouncing for more than a year. The first was Nicaragua, a country in which he remained in asylum since February 7, 2024, that is, 1 year and 3 months. After granting asylum, the Panamanian government, through the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, granted Martinelli the necessary safe conduct to leave the country.
