On video: Armando Benedetti verbally assaults Federico Gutiérrez

Team Colombia's presidential candidate Federico 'Fico' Gutiérrez and Senator Armando Benedetti were the protagonists of a strong discussion following the end of the presidential debate organized by Revista Semana and El Tiempo on March 14. The episode was recorded on video and in this one the two politicians are seen screaming at each other.

The video begins when the senator is heard yelling at Gutiérrez a rudeness, to which the latter does not remain silent and suggests that this behavior is typical of him. Benedetti responds by inviting him to come to discuss, which for some is understood as an invitation to fight physically. It should be noted that this happened within the auditorium where the debate took place.

- Benedetti: Bobo hijue…

- Gutiérrez: That's the example you give

- Benedetti: Yes, yes, the example. Come on, come on...

- Gutierrez: That's what they do

Once this crossing of screams happens, Benedetti leaves the auditorium and Gutiérrez continued to refer to the episode with the people who were in space. The presidential candidate called the senator's behavior provocative and called the politician bandit.

It is worth mentioning that the senator's anger was unleashed because in the middle of the debate, Gutiérrez attacked Petro, pointing out that he had people questioned or with open judicial proceedings around him, such as Benedetti.

“He has a process of extinction of dominion, illicit enrichment and he walks with you up and down. And then corruption there is good and elsewhere it doesn't. Corruption is corruption wherever it comes from, that is one of the debates that you also owe the country an explanation. Of course you're not going to give it, but you're going to owe it to the country,” said the presidential candidate.

It should be remembered that Benedetti has a case in the Supreme Court of Justice for increasing wealth that has not been proven in 2009, 2014, 2016 and 2017. In the midst of the investigation, the Prosecutor's Office occupied a senator's apartment of considerable value on October 25, which allegedly had been purchased by a third person at an auction of the National Narcotics Directorate.

Benedetti defended himself on Twitter while the debate was ongoing and told the candidate that he was a coward. In addition, he assured that these processes have been opened to him to delegitimize him, but that he has come out clean of everything.

Once the debate was over, Benedetti did not leave the venue without personally rebuking Gutiérrez. However, the senator himself says that it was not the best way to do it. Tonight he published another message in which he clarified that there was never even an attempt at physical aggression and again branded the presidential candidate a coward.

“There was never a fight or attempted aggression, but I was wrong. Fico more than a fool, he's a coward who attacks me in a scenario where he knows I can't answer him. Did your Mafia Secretary Gustavo Villegas get used to it?” , he wrote to me.

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