COLOMBIA · JUSTICE
Key Facts
- Power Index Colombia ranks 6th of 14 in The Rio Times Latin America Power Index, with 51.1 points (November 2026 edition).
- Who The JEP, Colombia’s peace tribunal, asked the Supreme Court about former senator Sandra Ramírez.
- What Whether Ramírez is covered by the Supreme Court file on the murder of senator Miguel Uribe Turbay.
- When Reported on Tuesday, 10 November 2026; the Court has three working days to reply.
- Status The request is not an accusation. Reports say there was no official information linking her to the crime.
- Not known Whether she is named in the Court’s file, and what the Court will answer.
Colombia’s peace tribunal has asked the Supreme Court whether a former guerrilla senator is part of the investigation into the murder of presidential hopeful Miguel Uribe Turbay. The request, reported on Tuesday, 10 November 2026, is a question about her case file and not an accusation.
The tribunal is the Special Jurisdiction for Peace, known as the JEP, the court created by the 2016 peace deal to judge crimes of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) guerrillas and other actors in the armed conflict. The woman at the centre is Sandra Ramírez, a former FARC member who later became a senator and who is a participant in the JEP’s proceedings.
Colombia is a close US partner on security and trade, so a political murder case that edges towards former members of Congress draws attention in Washington. Uribe Turbay, a senator and presidential hopeful, was shot at a campaign event in Bogotá on 7 June 2025 and died on 11 August 2025.
What the Peace Tribunal Asked
Magistrate Lily Rueda Guzmán, of the JEP’s Chamber for Acknowledgement of Truth, which examines participants’ admissions, signed an order addressed to the Supreme Court’s Special Investigation Chamber, the section that handles cases against members of Congress. It asks two things.
First, whether Ramírez is covered by the referral of case copies, known as a compulsa de copias, that Colombia’s prosecutor’s office sent to the Court in October. Second, whether any documents or other information link her to the killing.
The JEP gave the Court three working days to answer, and the order notes that Ramírez held constitutional immunity during the period at issue. It also asks for copies of the relevant records, with judicial secrecy respected.
Where the Question Comes From
On 19 October, Uribe Turbay’s widow, María Claudia Tarazona, said that prosecutors had received information about Enrique Marulanda. She described him as the biological son of the late FARC founder and commander Manuel Marulanda, known as Tirofijo, and the foster son of Ramírez.
Tarazona said he manages an illegal mine owned by “John 40”, whom she described as a member of the Segunda Marquetalia, a FARC splinter group, and that this could connect to the planning of the crime. These are her statements, and reports say there was no official information tying Ramírez to the murder.
The Fiscalía, Colombia’s prosecutor’s office, ordered the referral to the Supreme Court because that chamber handles cases against members of Congress. Our earlier report on the file explains what the Court received.
What Ramírez Faces at the JEP
Ramírez is already before the JEP in Case 07, which investigates the recruitment and use of children in the conflict. A breach of the conditions that come with her place in the JEP could cost her its legal benefits, the JEP says, but only after strict checks and with due process.
The tribunal says it wants to establish whether anything in the Supreme Court file should be examined as it monitors her commitments to transitional justice. Its request does not by itself establish any responsibility on her part.
What It Means for You
For US readers, the case shows Colombia’s peace tribunal checking its own participants while a murder inquiry reaches towards former members of Congress. It does not change travel advice or trade terms.
It does keep a high-profile case in the headlines of a country led by President Abelardo de la Espriella. Our report on the widow’s allegations and our coverage of the peace court give the wider picture.
More is on the Colombia hub, and the Latin America Power Index ranks the 14 main countries.
What Is Not Known
The Supreme Court has not publicly answered, so it is not known whether Ramírez is named in its file. No charge against her has been reported, and the allegations about Marulanda are unproven statements.
What Comes Next
The three-working-day deadline means the Court’s reply is due within days, though it is not obliged to make it public. The JEP will then decide whether anything in the file affects Ramírez’s standing.
Sources: Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP), order of the Chamber for Acknowledgement of Truth, reported 10 November 2026; Fiscalía General de la Nación, referral to the Supreme Court, October 2026; statements by María Claudia Tarazona, 19 October 2026 (all accessed 11 November 2026).
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the JEP?
The Special Jurisdiction for Peace is the court created by Colombia’s 2016 peace deal. It judges crimes committed in the armed conflict, including by former FARC guerrillas.
Is Sandra Ramírez accused of the murder?
No. The JEP only asked whether she is included in the Supreme Court file. It says its request does not establish any responsibility on her part.
Who was Miguel Uribe Turbay?
A Colombian senator and presidential hopeful. He was shot at a campaign event in Bogotá on 7 June 2025 and died on 11 August 2025.
When will the Supreme Court answer?
The JEP gave the Court three working days. The Court has not published a reply.
This article was produced by The Rio Times’ automated AI newsroom. Editorial responsibility: Matthias Camenzind, Publisher and Editor-in-Chief. The Rio Times also runs Ask Rio Times, which answers from 100,000+ of our own articles, the daily Latin America Power Map, and prediction-market odds on elections and markets.. How we use AI · Report an error