The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, stated this Friday (28) that the administrative sanction imposed by the National Electoral Council (CNE), equivalent to the Superior Electoral Court (TSE) in Brazil, on his 2022 presidential campaign for irregular financing and excessive spending is a “trap” created by “mafias” in search of power.
Concluding a two-year investigation, the CNE declared on Thursday that Petro’s presidential campaign exceeded campaign spending limits in the first and second rounds by more than 3.5 billion pesos (approximately US$940,000 today) and received prohibited contributions, a conclusion the president rejects.
“I conducted a transparent and honest campaign, without cheating. Now, the oligarchy and mafias are using tricks to try to regain power,” declared Petro on his X account.
The CNE imposed fines on Petro’s campaign coordinator and current president of the state-owned oil company Ecopetrol, Ricardo Roa, as well as the political parties Colombia Humana and União Patriótica (UP).
Roa, together with auditor María Lucy Soto and treasurer Lucy Aydée Mogollón, will have to jointly pay a fine of more than 5.9 billion pesos (approximately US$1.5 million).
Meanwhile, Petro’s Colombia Humana party and the Patriotic Union (UP) were individually sanctioned with fines equivalent to 583 million pesos (approximately US$155,000).
Colombia Humana was sanctioned “for allowing the entry of campaign contributions from prohibited sources”, and UP “for not adequately auditing compliance with the accountability process, failing to diligently and carefully verify the volume, origin and destination of resources administered in presidential campaigns”.
According to the president, the CNE sanctioned his campaign “to prevent the largest political movement in Colombia from receiving legal personality”, referring to Colombia Humana, whose legal recognition has not yet been approved by that body.
After denying that his campaign had exceeded legal spending limits and reiterating his statement from Thursday that “the only positive aspect of this investigation is that the opposition itself was unable to find a single contribution that could be considered related to drug trafficking or illegal”, Petro insisted on his idea of convening a Constituent Assembly to reform the Constitution.
“The people will decide whether to return to the paramilitary government or move towards a Colombia free of mafias and injustice. The campaign for the National Constituent Assembly is underway and needs their signature and the majority in Congress,” said Petro.
