Abstract

BARACALDO MENDEZ, María Stella. Police education in Colombia: situation and prospects to achieve a social State of law and a just and lasting peace. Diálogos sobre educ. Temas actuales en investig. educ. [online]. 2018, vol.9, n.17. ISSN 2007-2171.

Colombia is a social state of law and its authorities “have been instituted to protect all its residents in their life, honor, property, beliefs, and other rights and liberties, and to ensure compliance with the social duties of the State and of its citizens.”

According to Colombia’s Constitution, the police force has a civilian orientation and seeks to preserve peaceful coexistence, but its work is focused mainly on fighting crime in a country with high levels of inequality, lawlessness, corruption and unemployment. Its work overload and understaffing run counter to the processes of training, reflection upon and systematization of its practices, according to the objectives of the Police Education System (SEP).

The implementation of the Agenda to Build a Just and Lasting Peace1 and the Ten-Year Education Plan 2016 - 20262 demand that the national government strengthen the SEP to fulfill its civilian mission in a democratic State subject to the rule of law.

Keywords : Colombia; State of law; education; human rights; pólice; coexistence; peace.