With a focus on the protection of human rights, President Gustavo Petro and Defense Minister Iván Velásquez signed Decree 1231 of 2024, which redefines the use of force by the National Police.
The regulations, which replace Decree 1070, establish stricter guidelines to guarantee differentiated useproportional and rational force, and has already entered into force since October 3.
The most notable change of this new regulation is the explicit prohibition of the use of firearms and lethal force in the protection of material or legal assets of lesser value than human life. This means that, in situations such as demonstrations or disturbances that affect infrastructure, such as the burning of Immediate Attention Commands (CAI) observed in the social outbreak, soldiers will not be able to resort to lethal force to defend these assets.
Focus on human rights and citizen security
The decree highlights the obligation of agents to prioritize the protection of human rights and citizen security. It establishes that all uniformed Police personnel must apply force in a differentiated and proportional manner, always based on security and citizen coexistence. It is emphasized that the use of force will only be permitted when strictly necessary and must be aligned with a legitimate objective of the law.
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Reforming the Dialogue and Maintenance of Order Unit (former Esmad)
One of the key points is the transformation into the Dialogue and Maintenance of Order Unit (previously known as Esmad), which will also be subject to these new guidelines. The decree establishes that force may only be used in a proportional and reasoned manner, and only when it is absolutely essential to maintain order, prevent crimes or carry out legal arrests.
The regulations specify that police officers must exhaust all alternative methods before resorting to force.including verbal deterrence and dialogue. This preventive approach seeks to minimize the risk of violence during interventions in conflict situations or demonstrations.
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