Electoral ballot being dropped in a security box during March 13 Colombian parliamentary elections. Photo: RedRadioVE.
In the midst of warnings of a possible coup d’état carried out through a vote recount promoted by former Colombian president Álvaro Uribe and his supporters, and by President Iván Duque himself, the political system of Colombia is faltering a few weeks before the country’s presidential elections.
In the parliamentary elections held on March 13, the Historic Pact leftist coalition came out on top, receiving the most votes for the Senate and the House of Representatives. Now, the Colombian president himself has requested a recount, in violation of the legal and constitutional regulations of the country, because the chain of custody for the ballots has already expired.
The request for a recount was made through the Registrar Alexander Vega, a measure that the leftist candidate Gustavo Petro rejected, denouncing it as an attack against the institutions of the Colombian state.
Suspendo mi presencia en debates electorales hasta que se garantice la transparencia del voto.
Actuaremos con prudencia máxima y pedimos a las veedurías internacionales actuar con prontitud.
En este momento no hay cadena de custodia transparente sobre los votos ya escrutados.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) March 21, 2022
Various analysts consider that the registrar’s request, responding to the demands of Iván Duque and Álvaro Uribe, will in practical terms consist of repeating a process that was the responsibility of 700,000 voting jurors. About 18 million voters participated in the election, across 112,000 voting stations.
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Surrounding the denunciations raised by sectors of the left and, specifically by the presidential candidate Gustavo Petro, it is possible that the election scrutiny is currently being manipulated.
“Keep an eye on what the candidate Gustavo Petro says,” wrote Bogotá-based journalist Cathy Juvinao. “The chain of custody ended on Saturday, and at this time they could be putting in new votes, and then produce different results in the general recount.”
Ojo con lo que señala el candidato @petrogustavo: la cadena de custodia terminó el sábado y a esta hora podrían estar metiendo nuevos votos para después salir con resultados distintos en el reconteo general. ¡Pilas!
¡Vega no ofrece garantías de nada y debe renunciar ya! https://t.co/Z2UyDVTyQt
— Cathy Juvinao 🏛🇨🇴 (@CathyJuvinao) March 21, 2022
In essence, the powerful players affiliated with the Democratic Center, the party controlled by Uribismo, may try to take advantage of the impending recount and use this time to add fictitious votes in their favor, and then present them as the valid and legitimate result. This could overturn the majority gained by leftist Historic Pact in the March 13 elections. The presidential elections will take place on Sunday, May 29.
Featured image: Electoral ballot being dropped in a security box during the March 13 Colombian parliamentary elections. Photo: RedRadioVE.
(RedRadioVE) by José Manuel Blanco Díaz
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL/EF
José Manuel Blanco Diaz
Vice President of the Radio Miraflores Foundation |radiomiraflores.net.ve| Presenter of| UCV Social Communication | UCV announcer
