Bogota (AFP)
The Colombian government promulgated a law on Wednesday punishing the supply or administration of doping products with prison sentences, in order to regain its accreditation with the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA).
The law provides for penalties of two to six years in prison for suppliers, and also penalizes incitement to doping.
"We have brought our country up to the level of international best practices to fight against one of the great threats in sport: doping", welcomed the conservative president Ivan Duque.
With the entry into force of the law, the country inaugurated an anti-doping laboratory, allowing it to regain its accreditation with WADA, lost in 2017 after "analysis problems" during controls.
In 2019, the main Colombian professional cycling team was caught in a scandal after two of its riders tested positive.
In the country of Egan Bernal and Nairo Quintana, doping is a recurring problem in cycling, with 33 riders currently under sanctions for the use of substances banned according to the Colombian Federation.
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