The senator elected by the left-wing movement Historic Pact, Piedad Córdoba Ruiz, issued a statement on her behalf from Medellín, in order to respond to public opinion questions and the request of her community's presidential candidate, Gustavo Petro, to stay out of the campaign.
First of all, Córdoba confirmed what the political committee said on Wednesday afternoon: it agrees to stay out of Petro's campaign while his legal situation is being resolved: “nothing more distant from my interest than being used as an excuse by the enemies of democracy to tarnish our imminent electoral victory”, he said.
It also reaffirmed its willingness to be investigated by the Ethics Committee of the Historical Pact, as it had said last March. Piedad Córdoba also called for this particular process to be totally open to the public and that free access to the media be allowed.
The senator also responded to questions from some sectors, joined today by candidate Federico Gutiérrez, in which they tell Piedad Córdoba of having visited the drug trafficker alias Gordo Lindo and the former head of 'La Oficina', alias Douglas, to conduct non-extradition negotiations in exchange for votes.
He clarified that he has made visits to La Picota Prison, but only with the purpose of visiting Álvaro Freddy Córdoba, his brother, who was arrested on the night of Thursday, February 3 by agents of the Directorate of Criminal Investigation and Interpol (DIJIN) of the Colombian National Police and was requested for extradition by a court of Southern District of New York for alleged trafficking of cocaine to the United States.
Piedad Córdoba insisted that the arrest of his brother is an entrapment, as Senator Gustavo Petro said last Saturday in an interview with Cambio.
She also warned that some media would be writing quarrelsome content to harm the Historical Pact campaign for what it represents, in addition to attacking her and her family.
Piedad Córdoba took the opportunity to remind the Attorney General's Office that she had asked her — through a right of petition — to notify him when there are follow-ups, interceptions or investigations against him, but not only has the entity not responded, but it is clear that these procedures continue without informing him.
“The clarity requested from the Prosecutor's Office is urgent, especially when the media indicate that I am being followed by intelligence agencies unable to verify their legality, facts for which the Colombian State has already been condemned and for which I am still waiting to be repaid,” he warned.
The senator-elect ended her letter by saying that “this palenquera of politics will prolong her battle” and clarifying that she is not afraid of the allegations that are weighing against her.
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