The Comprehensive Protection Commission, chaired by Assemblywoman Pierina Correa, of the Citizen Revolution, drew up the proposal which generated conflicting positions, especially regarding the criminal responsibility of adolescents who commit a crime.

The legislator defended a restorative justice approach for minors. “Sending them to prisons like La Roca or Turi would be losing them forever, exposing them to abuse and graduating them into crime,” said the parliamentarian, who highlighted the need to treat this population group differently than adults.

In contrast, Jorge Peñafiel, from the Construye movement, proposed reducing the age of non-imputability to 12 years in cases of serious crimes such as contract killing, murder, or homicide, which would allow for strengthening justice actions and effectively combating organized crime.

The bill, containing 761 articles and multiple provisions, has been under discussion since 2020.

So far in 2024, 1,600 minors have been arrested by the National Police and are identified as members of drug gangs, according to data released in the newspaper La Hora.

The United Nations Children’s Fund warned that many minors are recruited by criminal groups, especially in communities with social fractures that do not offer them growth opportunities.

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