Colombia protests China's execution of 72-year-old drug mule

A retired journalist who joined the criminal underworld while researching a book on South America's drug cartels became the first Colombian, and possibly the first Latin American, to be executed in China for drug offenses.
The execution yesterday of Ismael Arciniegas occurred amid a last-ditch diplomatic effort by Colombia's government to save the 72-year-old's life.
Arciniegas was arrested in 2010 arriving by plane to the southern port city of Guangzhou trying to smuggle almost four kilograms of cocaine in exchange for USD 5,000.
But his downfall came decades earlier, in the 1980s, when he began researching a book on drug cartels in his native Cali, according to his son, Juan Jose Herrera, who described to local media the heart-breaking, 20-minute phone conversation he and family members had with his father shortly before he was taken to a room to be killed by lethal injection.

"God has opened his gates for me," a calm Arciniegas said in the tear-filled conversation, an excerpt of which was broadcast by Blu Radio. "Remember me warmly, with love. I'm going very tranquil, very relaxed. Nothing worries me."
Colombia's government expressed its condolences to Arciniegas' family and reiterated its objection to China's use of capital punishment. Since November, China has repatriated two convicted Colombian drug traffickers for humanitarian reasons so they could complete their sentences back home.

"We fought until the last minute to save his life," the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The execution threatens to strain relations between the two important commercial partners because, according to Colombian officials, there are 15 more people from the South American country on death row in China and an equal number sentenced to life imprisonment. Both punishments are illegal in Colombia.

But while news of Arciniegas' death dominated social media in Colombia today an online survey by Blu of almost 5,000 people showed 52 per cent were in agreement with the harsh punishment.
China is the world's top executioner, although it's unclear how many foreigners have been sentenced to death in China for drugs or other offenses.