Draft exemption ruling in Colombia

The Constitutional Court of Colombia has ruled that certain Black ethnic groups -- "negras, afrodescendientes, raizales y palanqueras (NARP)" -- must be afforded the same exemption from compulsory military service as the law extends to the indigenous population. Details here. Excerpt from the news article:

During the constitutional process, the Ministry of Defense rejected the demand to include black communities, claiming that "the reasons of vulnerability granted to indigenous people should not be extended to other ethnic groups because they share similar characteristics" since, under that criterion, "It would be necessary to include . . .  all ethnic groups and communities for reasons of cultural diversity." 

"Then, no one would fulfill the constitutional duty to render military service, and to pay the military compensation fee, because the term indigenous contains them all," it warned.