Electoral Council says Petro’s statements put its magistrates at risk

He National Electoral Council (CNE), which will study a presentation that recommends indictment against the Colombian president, Gustavo Pedrofor the alleged irregular financing of his campaign and violation of the electoral spending limit, he rejected the president’s statements, who considered that decision the beginning of a “coup d’état”, because they “put his judges at risk”.

“The serious statements against the members of this corporation violate the normal functioning of the democratic system and put at risk those who are in charge of making decisions in carrying out their constitutional functions.”The CNE stated this Wednesday in a statement.

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The magistrates Álvaro Hernán Pradaformer right-wing party deputy Democratic CenterIt is Benjamin Ortizformer secretary general of CNEpresented a presentation in favor of the formulation of charges against Petro it’s against Ricardo Roapresident of the state oil company Ecogasolina and that he was the manager of his 2022 presidential campaign, due to his alleged irregular financing.

The document will be discussed by the nine magistrates of the CNE in a plenary session, in which they will decide whether to admit it to continue with the process, for which they need the votes of at least six magistratesor if, on the contrary, they archive it.

“Millions of Colombians must take to the streets, I invite them, I ask them, regardless of what happens to me, to peacefully surround the centers of power in Colombia until constitutional order is restored in this country.”said Petro in a speech in Cartagena de Indias When referring to the decision of the CNE.

The president added that what happened this Wednesday is the beginning of “a coup d’état”, as he recalled that the “Constitution says that the President of the Republic cannot be judged by any entity other than the Commission on Prosecutions (from the Chamber of Deputies).

“Why did two entities belonging to an administrative entity say they are denouncing the president? This is deeply unconstitutional and is the beginning of a coup d’état in Colombia”said the president.

In this sense, the CNE consider this “Democracy is affected when those called upon to guarantee national unity and institutional stability disqualify the action of the authorities duly constituted.”

This case dates back to February 2023, when the CNE opened a preliminary investigation against the presidential campaign of Petro for alleged irregularities in its financing.

As reported then by that bodythe investigation was opened “based on the anonymous complaint presented for alleged irregularities in the financing and presentation of election campaign income and expense reports “first and second presidential round” of the Historic Pact, the left-wing coalition that led Petro The Presidency in 2022.

Source: Elcomercio

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