The Constitutional Court of Colombia has ruled in favour of a social media star after a lower court decision forced her to remove a YouTube video in which she shared she believed in traditional marriage. 

In a video posted in 2018, Kika Nieto said she believed that marriage was between a man and a woman as she answered a follower's question. She said: "I really hope that everyone who is watching this video knows that not all people have the same opinion and that's okay. 

"I think that God made us all and created man and created woman for man to be with woman and woman to be with man and that's it. Whatever we have done after that as man with man and woman with woman, I think it's not right. However, I do have friends who are gay, I have friends who are lesbian, I love them with all my heart. And if I know one thing and I am completely sure of it, it is that God is love. And he calls me to love people, without judging them."

The 28-year-old has almost eight million followers on YouTube alone.

Following the video, an LGBT rights activist filed a complaint about her statement and a lower court ordered Nieto to remove the video. Nieto then appealed the decision to the Constitutional Court of Colombia which has now overturned that decision and dismissed the lawsuit, clearing Nieto of any wrongdoing. 

In the run-up to decision Nieto said: "By speaking out I hope to inspire more tolerance of different opinions." 

Tomás Henríquez, Director of Advocacy in Latin America and the Caribbean for ADF International, a human rights organisation supporting Nieto's case, said: "If we value a free society, protecting the right to speak freely is paramount. We welcome the Court's decision to overturn Nieto's censorship ruling. Yet, we regret that it did not address the underlying issue of censorship and affirm everyone's right to speak freely. We must always choose debate over censorship. Ultimately, people and democracy suffer when voices are silenced."