Former senator Aída Merlano has been returned to the women’s prison El Buen Pastor in Bogotá after being deported from Venezuela.
Her defense team had requested that she be placed in the extraditable’s pavilion due to security concerns, but she spent her first night in the prison in Pavilion 9, which is designated for public officials.
Merlano has two active sentences in Colombia, one for corruption and illegal possession of weapons for 11 years, and another for campaign finance violations for five years and six months.
While she has already served one year and seven months in prison in Colombia, it is unclear whether her time spent in detention in Venezuela will be credited towards her sentence.
Despite facing multiple legal challenges, Merlano is determined to face the justice system and take responsibility for her actions.
