Reflections about Complicity and its Application in some Socio Economics Crimes

In Colombia, the definitions of crimes are found in the special part of the Criminal Code. They are set out as though the only way of to commit them was by being the author of the punishable conduct there described. Nevertheless, in the general part of the Criminal Code, we find other forms of criminal responsibility for the conduct described in the special part. Complicity is one of those ways. Although complicity is established in the Criminal Code, it does not appear as a criminal definition and, as such it is ignored or, worse, applied incorrectly. For those reasons, this article tries to reflect upon the validity of complicity. Accordingly, this article analyzes: what is complicity, what is the difference between complicity and co-authorship and how would complicity work in some practical cases related to socio-economic crimes, in which it has being overlooked or, has been used incorrectly. The article concludes that complicity is still valid, and that the correct application of complicity materializes the ideal of justice.

En Colombia, los tipos penales ubicados en la parte especial del Código Penal están redactados como si la única forma de desarrollarlos fuera siendo el autor de la conducta punible allí descrita. Sin embargo, en la parte general del Código Penal encontramos otras formas de responder penalmente por la conducta descrita en la parte especial. La complicidad es una de estas formas. Y aunque la complicidad está consagrada en el Código Penal, al no aparecer dentro de los tipos penales, es ignorada o lo que es aún peor, se utiliza incorrectamente. Por lo anterior, este artículo pretende reflexionar sobre la vigencia de la complicidad, y para ello analiza qué es la complicidad, su diferencia con la coautoría y cómo funcionaría la complicidad en algunos casos prácticos, relacionados con delitos socio-económicos en los cuales la complicidad se ha ignorado o se ha utilizado incorrectamente. Se concluye que la complicidad sigue vigente y que su correcta aplicación materializa el ideal de la justicia.