Electoral Investigation Against Colombian President Is Part of An Ongoing Coup
Luis Emil Sanabria (R), Oct. 9, 2024. Photo: teleSUR
October 9, 2024 Hour: 12:38 pm
Far-right forces have been pushing for the destabilization of Colombia by delegitimizing President Gustavo Petro
During an interview on teleSUR on Wednesday, journalist Luis Alfonso Mena denounced that the Colombian elites are orchestrating a coup d’état against President Gustavo Petro.
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“The process that the National Electoral Council (CNE) started against President Petro is not only unconstitutional and illegal but also absolutely untimely,” he said, referring to an investigation opened into alleged irregularities in the financing of the presidential campaign.
“The law sets a 30-day deadline to file complaints or claims about this type of irregularity, The far-right coup plotters have been pushing for the destabilization of Colombia by delegitimizing Petro’s administration,” Mena pointed out, recalling that over two years have passed since Petro took office.
He also recalled that the Constitutional Court has struck down numerous laws from the Petro administration aimed at addressing significant issues, such as the social emergency in the department of La Guajira.
Regarding President Petro’s options to confront the coup attempt, Colombian human rights defender Luis Emil Sanabria said there are three alternatives: resolving the dispute through legal procedures, appealing to international treaties and institutions, and mobilizing citizens in support of his administration.
Sanabria also believes that the Supreme Court should issue a ruling on the CNE investigation to prevent the Colombian elites from continuing to discredit the president’s administration. “The struggle is between the old power of the reactionary right and the new power being built by social democracy and the Colombian left,” he said.
On Tuesday, CNE President Cesar Lorduy opened a formal investigation into President Petro. The electoral authorities believe that Petro, his campaign manager Ricardo Roa, and other members of his team should be held accountable for the alleged violation of campaign financing rules, as the CNE suspects they exceeded spending limits and resorted to prohibited sources.
teleSUR/ JF Sources: teleSUR – EFE
