POLICE Scotland have defended sending officers to the Colombian capital following concerns raised about their deployment with the First Minister.

The mission emerged earlier this month after a Labour MSP pressed Nicola Sturgeon about the matter in light of reports of dozens of human rights abuses by local officers.

Mercedes Villalba underlined previous fears about Police Scotland training their Colombian counterparts saying officers in the South American country were among "the world's most serious human rights abusers" as she drew attention to the overseas deployment.

The Labour MSP told the Holyrood chamber: "Police Scotland’s international development and innovation unit continues to provide training to some of the world’s most serious human rights abusers.

"In Colombia, where there is evidence of human rights abuses being committed by the national police, including the killing of protesters, Police Scotland officers continue to provide training.

"Given the evidence of human rights abuses being committed by the national Colombian police, can the First Minister explain why the Scottish Government approved the deployment of Police Scotland officers to Colombia?"

Ms Sturgeon said operational matters are for the chief constable "and I am sure that he will pay attention to this exchange".

She added: "I recognise that these issues can be sensitive and controversial. However, it is important to note that where Police Scotland provides support and training to police forces in other parts of the world, it is about enhancing human rights and ensuring that, in parts of the world where such an approach has not always been taken, police forces are trained in taking a human rights approach to policing."

Conservative MSP Jamie Greene has also criticised the deployment - which involved two Police Scotland officers and a member of staff to Colombia's capital Bogota in March.

Mr Greene questioned whether it was the best use of resources given a fall in police numbers in Scotland.

"At a time when the SNP have imposed further cuts to police budgets and officer numbers have hit their lowest level since 2008, the public will be questioning if this is an appropriate use of money," he said.

“Given the SNP have failed to properly fund our police, they should be upfront about the costs of this trip to South America.”

The Scottish Police Authority approved the officers and civilian's deployment to Bogota at its meeting on March 23.

It said Police Scotland is working with the National Colombian Police through the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office "to support the capability development, under the Stabilising Colombia through Innovations in Policing (SCIP) programme."

It added that Police Scotland’s role is to provide strategic support to the programme lead, the United Nations International Organisation for Migration (UN IoM).

A Police Scotland spokesperson said: “A small delegation of two Police Scotland officers and one staff member deployed to Colombia in March 2022, under agreement with the British Embassy, Bogota, to provide strategic support for a programme being led by the United Nations International Organisation for Migration. 

"Police Scotland’s values of integrity, fairness, respect and a commitment to upholding human rights are at the heart of everything we do, including our work overseas supports the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

"In this work, we have a particular focus on crime prevention, social conflict transformation and gender equality, through sharing our values-based approach so as to support the ongoing development of the National Police of Colombia.”

A report published by the United Nations human right's office (OHCHR) in December last year found disproportionate use of force by police officers during widespread demonstrations that began on 28 April and continued for several weeks.  The protests were part of a national strike against economic and social equalities, worsened by the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The report said that from 28 April to 31 July, OHCHR’s office in Colombia received more than 60 allegations of deaths in the context of the protests.  By December it had verified the deaths of 46 people - 44 civilians and two police officers.  Most of the documented deaths, 76 per cent, were from gunshot wounds.

It added: "Based on this analysis, there are reasonable grounds to believe police officers were responsible for at least 28 of the deaths...with members of the National Police’s Mobile Anti-Riot Squad (ESMAD) involved in at least 10."

It went on to say some 60 reported cases of sexual violence allegedly committed by the police, were also included in the report. So far, 16 have been verified by OHCHR.