BOGOTA, Sept 17 (Reuter) Colombia could become a haven for foreign
criminals if it fails to amend legislation approved by the country's
Senate, Foreign Minister Maria Emma Mejia said on Wednesday.

She was referring to a controversial bill approved late on Tuesday that
would lift Colombia's sixyearold ban on the extradition of drug
traffickers and other criminals but prevent extradition from applying
retroactively.

As passed by the Senate, the legislation would prevent the extradition of
brothers Gilberto and Miguel Rodriguez Orejuela, the jailed leaders of the
Cali drug cartel whose trial in a U.S. court was requested by U.S. Attorney
General Janet Reno last year.

But Mejia said it also opened the door to Colombia becoming a ``nest'' or
safe haven for foreign criminals, since the bill was loosely worded and did
not rule out the possibility that nonColombians could harbor themselves
from extradition requests abroad by residing in Colombia.

``We've been left with a vacuum when it comes to foreigners,'' Mejia told
local radio.

``It would not only make it (Colombia) a nest for foreign criminals but it
could force us to violate all of our international (extradition) treaties
because we'd definitely be shielding foreigners.''

Colombian law takes precedence over treaties such as the extradition accord
Bogota signed with Washington in 1979 and fugitives from U.S. justice
could, in theory, seek refuge in Colombia if the Senate bill makes it way
through the lower House of Representatives without amendment.

``We have to correct it,'' Mejia said of the bill.

Echoing her fears, Bogota's respected El Espectador newspaper suggested in
a front page headline that the Senate was bent on adding to Colombia's
drugtainted image abroad. ``Senate Clears Way for a Narco Sanctuary,''
said the headline.

The idea of Colombia becoming a ``gilded cage'' for jetsetting criminals
from around the globe is sure to stir further controversy in the runup to
the House vote on the extradition bill, which should occur in about two
weeks time.

But the fact that denial of retroactivity would block the extradition of
the Rodriguez Orejuelas, and other billionaire Colombian capos on U.S.
wanted lists, is likely be of more immediate concern to Washington.

U.S. officials have said an unconditional lifting of the ban on extradition
is key if Colombia is to avert the punitive U.S. trade sanctions that could
come in early 1998, when the country's antidrug efforts could be
``decertified'' for a third consecutive year.