Colombia Peace Process Debate
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Laurence Robertson
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Colombia Peace Process
Laurence Robertson Excerpts(5 years, 7 months ago)
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Clive Efford (Eltham) (Lab)
My hon. Friend is making a powerful speech. I have not been to Colombia, which is something I hope to put right in the near future. Is my hon. Friend concerned, as I am, that American extradition is used as a threat against people who are part of the peace process? Will she, through the Minister, appeal to the Americans to review the use of extradition as a threat to people who have played an active role in bringing the peace process to the point it is at today?
Mr Laurence Robertson (in the Chair)
Order. There are two further Members who want to speak, and I want to start the Front-Bench speeches at 3.30.
Jo Stevens
Thank you, Mr Robertson. I will wrap up with a few questions to the Minister. I agree with the point made by my hon. Friend, and I hope that the Minister will address it. It was one of the things I was going to ask him about.
I have three questions. Will the Minister make representations to the Colombian Government about the conditions in which Jesus Santrich is being held, and particularly about the lack of access to disability aids? Will he also impress on them the absolute right of lawyers to visit, to prepare a case for the JEP? I take on board the point raised by my hon. Friend the Member for Eltham (Clive Efford). Finally, Senator Victoria Sandino, another FARC senator, is visiting the UK at the end of the month. She led on gender and equality aspects of the peace agreement. A request has been made to the Minister’s office for him to meet Senator Sandino. If he could say something positive on that, it would be welcome.
Several hon. Members rose—
Mr Laurence Robertson (in the Chair)
Order. I would like to leave two minutes at the end for Mr Bryant to wind up the debate.