The Strengthening of the Colombian Prosecutor’s Office Special Investigation Unit project comes to an end

The “Strengthening the Special Investigation Unit of the Prosecutor’s Office” project has held its closing ceremony at the headquarters of the Colombian State Attorney General’s Office in the city of Bogotá after 30 months of execution.   

For two and a half years, this FIIAPP-implemented project, with a two-million euro investment from the European Union, has supported the strengthening of the Special Investigation Unit of the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Colombia for the Dismantling of Criminal Organisations, which has been part of the programme for post-conflict support and implementation of the “Final Agreement for the termination of the conflict and the construction of a stable and lasting peace” between the Colombian Government and the Armed Forces (FARC-EP).   

In this closing session, which also included a presentation of results, it was shown how, thanks to this project, real progress has been made in the development and institutionalisation of the new criminal investigation paradigm. The capacities of the Unit’s teams have also been strengthened, in particular, their responsibilities in the preparation of lines of research with differential approaches in local, regional and national contexts, the characterisation of victims of populations under special protection and in the identification of illicit economies used in the financing of criminal organisations.  

This programme has provided state-of-the-art forensic equipment, computers, software, drones, vehicles and technical assistance to travelling teams and the Strategic Investigation Group. As far as computer forensic investigation is concerned, new technologies have been implemented which have led to significant advances in the dismantling of criminal structures.   

Operational capacity has been improved in towns such as Bogotá, Medellín and Apartadó (Antioquia), Popayán (Cauca), Cúcuta (Norte de Santander), Villavicencio (Meta), Tumaco (Nariño) and in the departments of Caquetá, Huila, Putumayo and Valle del Cauca. All these actions have been aligned with the 2020-2024 Strategic Direction plan.   

This cooperation has also seen the holding of discussion sessions with the Special Investigation Unit and communities in six regions: Valle del Cauca, Guaviare, Chocó, Caquetá, Magdalena Medio and Bajo Cauca Antioqueño, promoting effective communication channels, credibility and trust in institutions.   

This closing meeting and project dissemination event took the form of a discussion of the EU’s achievements and contributions, which was divided into two sessions. The first of these was led by Assistant Prosecutor Martha Mancera, with the second being led by the incoming Director of the Special Investigation Unit, Doctor Hernando Toro, who will take office in December. 

The meeting was attended by Gilles Bertrand, the EU Ambassador, representatives of the EU delegation in Colombia and from FPI Brazil, ambassadors and attachés from the Embassies of Belgium, Ireland, Spain, Austria, Sweden, Italy, France and Germany, as well as the FIIAPP team and the Prosecutor of the International Cooperation Chamber of the State Attorney General’s Office, Rosa Ana Morán.