He National Electoral Council (CNE), which will study a presentation that recommends bringing charges against the Colombian president, Gustavo Petrodue to the alleged irregular financing of his campaign and violation of the electoral spending limit, rejected the statements of the president, who considered that decision the beginning of a “coup d’état”, because “they put his judges at risk”.
“The serious statements against the members of this corporation violate the normal functioning of the democratic system and put at risk those who are in charge of making decisions in compliance with their constitutional functions.”expressed the CNE this Wednesday in a statement.
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The magistrates Alvaro Hernán Pradaformer congressman of the right-wing party Democratic Centerand Benjamin Ortizformer secretary general of CNEpresented a presentation favorable to the formulation of charges against Petro and against Ricardo Roapresident of the state oil company Ecopetrol and that he was manager of his 2022 presidential campaign, due to its alleged irregular financing.
The document will be discussed by the nine magistrates of the CNE in a full room session, in which they will decide whether to admit it to continue with the process, for which they need the votes of at least six magistratesor if, on the contrary, they archive it.
“Millions of Colombians have to take to the streets, I invite you, I request you, regardless of what happens to me, to peacefully surround the centers of power in Colombia until constitutional order is restored in this country.”Petro said in a speech in Cartagena de Indias When referring to the decision of the CNE.
The president added that what happened this Wednesday is the beginning of “a coup”, as he recalled that the “Constitution says that the president of the Republic cannot be judged by an entity other than the Commission of Accusations (of the House of Representatives).”
“Why have two entities belonging to an administrative entity said that they are filing charges against the president? That is deeply unconstitutional and is the beginning of a coup d’état in Colombia”stated the president.
In that sense, the CNE consider that “Democracy is affected when whoever is called to guarantee national unity and institutional stability disqualifies the actions of the authorities duly constituted.”
This case dates back to February 2023 when the CNE opened a preliminary investigation against the presidential campaign of Petro for alleged irregularities in its financing.
As reported then by that organismthe investigation was opened “based on the anonymous complaint filed for alleged irregularities in the financing and presentation of election campaign income and expense reports “first and second presidential round” of the Historical Pact, the left-wing coalition that led Petro to the Presidency in 2022.
