For breaching the rules, Federico Gutiérrez's campaign will have to dismantle 18 billboards in Cali

This Wednesday, April 20, the Mayor of Cali reported that the campaign of the former mayor of Medellín and presidential candidate for the Team for Colombia, Federico Gutiérrez, would be in breach of regulatory requirements, which specify the installation of only eight billboards in the city, however, the authorities would have accounted for 26 hurdles in the capital of Valle del Cauca.

This was confirmed by the Undersecretary of Inspection, Surveillance and Control (IVC), Jimmy Dranguet, who considered it essential that advertising activities be carried out on an equal footing for the elections on March 29, which is why the local administration sent a letter to the presidential campaign of the candidate of the right wing alliance to dismantle the 18 billboards that would be in breach of the rules on foreign political advertising.

“For this reason, the District Administration calls on this presidential campaign and others to comply with the requirements established in this city and also by the National Electoral Council (CNE), through Resolution 1605 of 2021. Of the evidence obtained in control operations, they have already been sent to the CNE so that the sanctioning processes that result and the corresponding preventive measures are taken,” said the undersecretary.

On the other hand, the official stressed that the reviews that have been carried out by the authorities since the beginning of the month, through which it has been verified that the political campaigns of the presidential candidates comply with the established norms, “are objective” and allowed to establish that Federico Gutiérrez's campaign is the only one that would be in breach of the number of fences displayed.

According to the undersecretary, the campaign of opposition leader and candidate of the Historical Pact, Gustavo Petro, would have five hurdles installed; the same number as Christian candidate Jonh Milton Rodriguez; followed by former governor of Antioquia and presidential candidate for the Centro Esperanza Coalition, Sergio Fajardo, who would have two and finally the engineer and independent candidate Rodolfo Hernández with a fence in the capital of Valle del Cauca.

“Each campaign has the right to install up to eight hurdles in Cali. If there is a private person who wants to support, he must coordinate with that campaign so that he does not exceed the limit. In addition, you must go to the District Planning Agency in order to establish the permitted site,” said Undersecretary Dranguet.

Finally, the official assured that the campaign to which the authorities dismantle the advertising elements will have to pay a fine and the costs of removing these items and transporting these items to the wineries in the Las Delicias neighborhood, where they will be able to claim them once the respective payments are made.

The Mayor's Office of Cali indicated that these fences “violate democracy and urban norms” because they would be violating visual pollution, however, these complaints made by the district administration a few days ago have been questioned by sectors that warn of the alleged closeness of Mayor Jorge Iván Ospina with the senator from the left and who leads the voting intention polls, Gustavo Petro.

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