2023-09-28 07:01:00
In less than a year, three generals of the Republic went from being under a legal regime in which the Public Force cannot vote, to having a direct participation in politics, as candidates for popularly elected positions.
This is General (r) Jorge Luis Vargas Valencia, who was director of the National Police until August 12, 2022, and is now a candidate for the Mayor of Bogotá; General (r) Fernando Murillo Orrego, who left the Criminal Investigation Directorate (Dijín) and Interpol on the same date, and is in the race for the Mayor of Ibagué; and General (r) Juvenal Díaz Mateus, who was commander of the Seventh Division of the Army until August 26, 2022, and today is in the race for the Governor of Santander.
Although the three aspire for different movements, they have in common proposals that revolve around security and a latent opposition to the results that the government of President Gustavo Petro is giving, especially with the “total peace” project.
Questioning the power
Vargas was the last candidate to join the race for the country’s capital and has had the endorsement of Cambio Radical since last July, as well as the support of Creo, the party of Federico Gutiérrez (aspiring for mayor of Medellin).
His arrival in the campaign was not free of tares and he believes that there are members of the Government and former Police officers conspiring against him.
According to his book titled “This is how it was”: “I have been told that the Minister of Defense, Iván Velásquez, openly tells police officers: ‘No one can talk to General Vargas, we must get information to investigate him for anything.’ (…). President Petro, do not believe those retired officers, they are manipulating you with personal interests and desires for revenge (…). “They invented a far-fetched story that I went to Miami to meet with former President Duque, my General Zapateiro and other generals, supposedly to destabilize and carry out a coup against the Government.”
His last statement was against “the narco-financing of President Petro’s campaign, the ‘rabbit’ of his son Nicolás to justice and the prepaid marches in Bogotá for the Casa de Nariño candidate (Gustavo Bolívar).”
Against continuity
General (r) Murillo ran for mayor for an independent movement, called “Ibagué always forward.” According to him, he has rejected 18 endorsement proposals.
In his statements he usually criticizes the current mayor, the conservative Andrés Hurtado.
“Ibagueños do not have confidence in the local government. Their harsh stance only leads to the Ibaguereños themselves fighting, they are promoting marches from the Administration, this is not how the problems of a city are handled. The leadership of a ruler is to sit down the actors and find a solution,” he said in a recent interview with El Nuevo Día.
General (r) Díaz is in a similar vein, in open opposition to the governor of Santander, Mauricio Aguilar, of the “Siempre Santander” movement and also supported at the time by the conservatives.
In the opinion of the former military man, Aguilar does not offer guarantees of transparency to the candidates and apparently would be favoring the aspirations of Héctor Mantilla, who would be the card for continuity.
“I ask the Attorney General to appoint a special agent to provide guarantees in the Santander electoral process; and to the competent authorities, to appoint an ad hoc governor who will give guarantees to all the candidates,” she trilled recently.
Díaz registered his candidacy for the “Es tiempo” movement and has endorsements from the Liberal, Democratic Center, Conservative and Radical Change parties.
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ANNEX: OTHER OFFICERS (R) IN POLITICS
These are other cases of senior officers who, after their retirement, ran for popularly elected positions:
– Colonel (r) Hugo Aguilar: former member of the Police and the Search Block against Pablo Escobar, he was a deputy (2001-02) and governor of Santander (2004-07) and in 2013 convicted of parapolitics.
– General (r) Harold Bedoya: former commander of the Armed Forces. (1996-97), he was a candidate for the Presidency (1998 and 2002) and the Mayor of Bogotá (2003).
– General (r) Freddy Padilla: former commander of the Armed Forces. (2006-10), he was a candidate for the Senate (2014), but did not obtain enough votes.
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