About 5,000 judges and 12,000 court workers ended a two-week strike Wednesday after the government agreed to give them bulletproof vests, bodyguards and reinforced cars to protect them from drug traffickers.
The strike, which shut down Colombia's judicial system, ended as a result of a meeting Tuesday with the minister of justice, said Consuleo Herrera, a board member of the National Association of Court Workers.Justice Minister Roberto Salazar also promised that judges' offices will be moved to government buildings offering better security, Mrs. Herrera told The Associated Press. The government also will study the possibility of salary increases for judges dealing with drug trafficking cases, Mrs. Herrera said. Judges are paid an average of about $400 a month.