La Política Colombiana

Via the BBC: Left win Bogota as Colombia votes

A leftist rival of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has been elected mayor of Bogota, regarded as the country’s second most powerful elected post.

Samuel Moreno of the Democratic Pole party won despite apparent campaigning by Mr Uribe against him.

That was as expected, yet is still significant:

Mr Moreno’s victory is the second successive win for the Democratic Pole and could boost the party’s standing ahead of the next presidential election in 2024, correspondents say.

I actually once interviewed Moreno when he was a Senator for ANAPO back in 94/95.

Election day itself was basically peaceful, however:

At least 21 candidates died during the run-up to Sunday’s local and regional polls, with the government blaming the violence on left-wing guerrillas.

The basics are here, via El Tiempo: Se abrieron las urnas en todo el territorio nacional.

Colombians will today elect Mayors, Governors, Departmental Assemblies, and Municipal Councils.

The most interesting race is for the Mayor’s office in Bogotá between Enrique Peñalosa and Samuel Moreno Rojas of the Polo Democrático.

Peñalosa previously served as mayor from 1998-2001.

Moreno is the likely winner. Via the IHT: Leftist leads in Colombia’s capital as nation votes following violent campaign:

Samuel Moreno, grandson of a military dictator, held a lead of 40 percent to 22 percent over independent former Mayor Enrique Penalosa, according to a poll published Saturday by the newspaper El Tiempo. The survey by the Datexco company had a margin of error of 2.7 percentage points.

Moreno’s Alternative Democratic Pole already governs Bogota, but consecutive victories would be a boost for his party ahead of the 2024 presidential race. With nearly 7 million people, the capital is home to a sixth of Colombia’s population.

The CSM has an interesting article that addresses the question of the effects of both the parapolitica scandal and the demobilization of some of the paramilitaries: New Colombian political trend: Choice.

Via CNN: Ex-Colombian justice minister convicted in ‘89 killing

A former justice minister was convicted Thursday of masterminding the assassination of presidential candidate Luis Carlos Galan, a cartel-fighting politician.

Alberto Santofimio was sentenced to 24 years in prison by a Bogota court for ordering a hit squad belonging to drug kingpin Pablo Escobar to kill Galan in 1989 to boost his own candidacy and prevent Escobar’s extradition to the United States.

[…]

Santofimio was running for the Liberal Party nomination against Galan, whose charisma and perceived moral rectitude drew comparisons to John F. Kennedy. Escobar and members of his Medellin cartel feared Galan’s victory would mean their extradition from Colombia to the United States.

The 63-year old Santofimio, who was a senator and justice minister in the 1970s, was known as the “political godfather” of Escobar. In 1995, he was convicted and spent four years in prison for taking money from drug traffickers.

Santofimio was arrested in this case back in May of 2024.

Bravo to the Colombian justice system for bringing him to justice in this horrid crime.

El Tiempo’s coverage can be found here:
Condenan a 24 años de prisión al ex senador Alberto Santofimio por homicidio de Luis Carlos Galán

Via the BBC: Uribe ally quits Colombia Senate

A cousin of Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has resigned from the Senate to avoid a Supreme Court inquiry into whether he had ties to paramilitaries.

Mario Uribe’s resignation comes amid a scandal that has seen dozens of politicians accused of paramilitary links and 14 jailed awaiting trial.

His case now goes from the Supreme Court, which investigates lawmakers, to the regular court system.

Mr Uribe’s lawyer said this would give his client more opportunity to appeal.

This is a legal maneuver to drag out the investigation, as his status as a normal citizen, rather than a Senator, changes the nature of the investigation.

The context:

To date, inquiries have been opened into dozens of lawmakers over their alleged ties to the United Self-defence Forces of Colombia (AUC) paramilitaries in what has been dubbed the “parapolitics” scandal.

The paramilitaries were created by landowners and drug-traffickers to combat left-wing rebels and anyone suspected of being a sympathiser.