Colombia lifts state of emergency
2003-04-30 08:44
Bogota - The Constitutional Court of Colombia ruled on Tuesday to lift a state of emergency that has been in effect in the country since last August.
"This decision will take effect tomorrow, as soon as the president of the republic and Congress are officially informed of it," said Chief Justice of the court Eduardo Montealegre.
The state of emergency was imposed by Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on August 11 as part of his effort to step up his military campaign against leftist rebels.
The measure allowed the military to impose military rule in areas of increased guerrilla activity, detain suspects without a warrant for 24 hours and wiretap telephone conversations.
Colombia's 39-year-old civil war has claimed more than 200 000 lives.
The court's decision came after Uribe left for the United States where he is to meet with President George W Bush on Wednesday to discuss ways to bolster his counterterrorism campaign financed in part by Washington.
- AFX