Complaints about registration of ballot papers abroad for presidential elections

Some Colombians abroad are upset and worried about the difficulties they face in registering their citizenship cards at their nearest consulate, ahead of the first presidential round on May 29.

Recently, the Colombian Foreign Ministry warned that the process can only be done in person at the various consulates and embassies around the world. The notice was serious: since last Wednesday, March 23, the application of the National Registry of Civil Status, which allowed the registration of these Colombian migrants, was deactivated.

The news has upset some Colombians who are still in the country and had plans to travel for the date of the first round. It also worries those who could not make the change before the application closed and do not have the resources to travel to the consulate of the country where they are in the remaining four days of registration.

In Mexico, citizens have to move to the capital.

Another citizen denounces that not all Colombians in France have the means to reach Paris before Tuesday.

Colombians in Germany who do not have their ID registered must also go to Berlin in four days.

In Spain, where there are the second largest number of registered ballots for Colombians abroad, there is a mobile consulate that is moving around some cities in the European country, although it may be too late for some citizens whose city it has already passed.

A separate chapter merit the problems faced by some Colombians who try to register their ballots in the United States consulates. Although some of them are opening temporary headquarters in schools and restaurants, in addition to serving extended hours, they are not keeping up. Moreover, some of these points remain too remote for certain citizens.

On the other hand, a citizen in Miami denounced that, although the Chancellery says that you only need to present the yellow card with holograms to register at any consulate, at that point in particular they are asking them for official US documents to corroborate their address.

The Registrar's Office and the Chancellery have not commented on these complaints. However, it is important to remember that Colombians who voted in consulates for legislative elections do not need to register again; they can do so in the same place where they voted on March 13.

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