Colombian President Gustavo Petro, in a speech on Tuesday, called for the world to pay attention to Colombia as it defends democracy, in the face of the coup against it. 

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Regarding the declaration of the National Electoral Council (CNE), the president insists that it endangers the institutionality it represents and is the greatest affront to democracy against his country.

«The CNE has made charges against me, violating the Constitution», said the president, while denying the five main accusations that the CNE has filed against him.

In this regard, Gustavo Petro stated that “the alleged contributions of the Unión Sindical Obrera de la Industria del Petróleo (USO) and the Federación Colombiana de Trabajadores de la Educación (Fecode) were not to my campaign but to the Partido Colombia Humana, the same thing that was done to the Democratic Centre Party in Iván Duque’s campaign in 2018; and the CNE acquitted on October 28, 2021”.

«The alleged payments to election witnesses do not correspond to campaign expenses. The first round was until the opening of the ballot box on 29 May 2022 and the second round until the opening of the ballot box on 19 June 2022. The counting of votes is done afterwards», said the president.

All campaign expenses for electoral propaganda were reported in a timely manner and under the respective regulations. “This was certified by the external audit contracted by the CNE, which certified the truthfulness of all the accounts we presented 30 days after the campaign”, said the representative.

“In the meantime, judges are confusing flight permits that were not necessarily used by the campaign with flights made. All the invoices submitted to the National Tax and Customs Directorate (DIAN) correspond to the services of the transport company SADI; but they were ignored”, added the president.

The electoral victory held on 19 June in the Movistar after the elections had some expenses, but that was not part of the campaign period and so the law states.

The charges brought by the CNE are unfounded, the dignitary said, adding that his actions were entirely honorable. “I am facing an administrative authority captured by the opposition that seeks at all costs to question my integrity,” he said.

Announced the request to the Commission of Inquiry and Prosecution of the Chamber to make public the file so that the citizenry know more than 25 testimonies, 34 documentary documents and three judicial inspections have been carried out. «It is through evidence that I claim and denounce the illegal and unconstitutional conduct of the CNE».

The President also said that the accounts were duly explained by the campaign team, while reiterating the call for widespread mobilization. He insisted that all popular organizations in Colombia must be in permanent assembly, while he asked the public force not to raise a weapon against the people.

On 19 September, the audit of Nexia International found that the accounts presented were correct. “Today’s decision is a blow against the 11 million people who voted for this progressive government,” he said.

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