The image of the candidate for the presidency of the Colombian Team, Federico Gutiérrez, did not escape the rebellious hands of some citizens in the city of Monteria, capital of the department of Córdoba. This week vandalized pieces of his campaign appeared.
The photographs taken by the followers of the right-wing candidate give an account of paintings on the billboards and the facade of the campaign headquarters in that city, located on 27th and seventh street. There are dirty words, such as “dog” and “puppet”, and drawings classified as obscene, such as phalluses and black holes between the candidate's teeth.
The regional campaign directorate assured that vandalism prevents the construction of democracy, demanded prompt investigation of the facts from the authorities and called for politics with “height, culture and respect for the democratic convictions of others”.
It should be remembered that in Monteria there are strong tensions during the election season: nearby is the El Ubérrimo estate, owned by former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, and presidential candidate Gustavo Petro is from Ciénaga de Oro, municipality in the department of Córdoba.
An example of these tensions was given on April 4, when a denunciation by the political influencer and former Cordovan Senate candidate for the Historical Pact, Angelica Verbel, came to light. She received a series of videos denouncing the use of municipal government personnel and equipment to campaign for Federico Gutiérrez.
In the videos you can see people wearing t-shirts alluding to the campaign, distributing food, giving haircuts and nails and doing brief dental examinations to young children, in a city park full of Fico fences. Even the person recording was intimidated into quitting by security personnel and some bystanders.
Senator Iván Cepeda announced, through his Twitter account, that he had filed criminal complaints against Colombian President Iván Duque and seven local mayors for alleged political intervention in favor of Gutiérrez. According to Cepeda, the head of state “has not fulfilled his constitutional and legal duty to act neutrally during the presidential election.”
In addition to the Colombian president, the list of those accused includes Wilfredo Romero, mayor of the municipality of San Juan Nepomuceno, del Bolivar; Marco Adrián Artunduaga, Timana (Huila); Raquel Victoria Sierra, María La Baja (Bolivar); José Nicolás Ramos, Cicuco (Bolivar); Mario Javier Rodriguez, Santa Rosa de Lima (Bolivar); Eugenio Lobo, Arenal (Bolivar) and Edwin Puerta, Villanueva (Bolivar).
With regard to the mayors denounced, Cepeda explained that the allegations were submitted to the Office of the Attorney General of the Nation. Added to this is a disciplinary complaint filed with the Attorney General's Office, against the mayor and the six mayors mentioned above. Regarding the irregularities allegedly committed by these mayors, the senator said that there were different events that occurred during the National Congress of Municipalities held in Cartagena. There, says Cepeda, the local leaders, convened as public servants, openly intervened in politics in favor of Federico Gutiérrez.
Iván Cepeda emphasizes that the conduct carried out by local leaders, allegedly, fits into the criminal type of intervention in politics, contained in article 422 of Law 599 of 2000 of the Criminal Code. This section states that public servants, including those who exercise civil, political or administrative authority, cannot use their power to favor or prejudice electorally a candidate, party or political movement.
“In summary, the mayors and the mayor (...) directed their conduct, as the highest political, administrative and civil authority of their municipalities, to use their investiture, while in exercise of their duties, to favor, with their approval, the presidential candidacy of Federico Gutiérrez”, concludes the document in which it was reflected the complaint.
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