BOGOTA, Aug. 31 (UPI) -- The Colombian Congress approved a law punishing those guilty of discrimination with one to three years in prison and fines as high as $4,500, officials said.
The law passed Tuesday makes it a crime to discriminate against a person based on race, ethnicity, religion or gender, El Espectador reported.
Christian Salazar, of the Office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights, said racial discrimination is a reality in Colombia that will not be tolerated.
"The Colombian government must focus on ending all discrimination," Salazar said.
A Colombian newspaper reported earlier this year Afro-Colombians deliberately were rejected for housing in Bogota.
The law must be signed by Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and approved by the constitutional court before going into effect.
