2024-09-13 20:30:48
The president described the investigation as an attempt to confuse the public.
During an event at the Casa de Nariño on Monday night, President Gustavo Petro lashed out at the National Electoral Council (CNE). The president harshly questioned the validity of the evidence presented against him and described the investigation as an attempt to confuse citizens and destabilize the popular vote in the country.
Disqualified the evidence
In his speech, Petro was emphatic in disqualifying the evidence against him, referring to it as “botched,” and expressed his discontent with the CNE’s intervention in a case that, according to him, exceeds its powers. “A president is being tried by the National Electoral Council, which is neither a judge nor a criminal court, but rather an administrative entity. The same thing happened with Ordoñez with absolutely botched evidence to say that a limit was exceeded,” said Petro, referring to the similar situation he faced in the past when Alejandro Ordoñez, former attorney general, tried to remove him.
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The president also defended Ricardo Roa, current president of Ecopetrol and manager of his campaign, who has been implicated in the investigation. Petro said that the alleged irregularities pointed out by the CNE occurred outside the framework of the official campaign. “90% of these possible irregularities occurred outside the campaign, because the campaign has a start date and an end date,” he explained. In addition, he emphasized that the expenses pointed out by the CNE, which supposedly exceed the permitted limits, are not related to campaign activities, but to celebrations after the electoral victory.
“The act of rejoicing by the people for having won, that is going beyond the limits. That is after winning, after the votes are counted!” exclaimed Petro, flatly rejecting the accusation of having violated electoral rules.
Inflated calculations
The president also denied the allegations regarding the use of a plane during the campaign, arguing that the CNE’s calculations are inflated and do not correspond to reality. “The plane is not exclusive, from the point of view that we use it all the time. We use it when we need it, they add it all up and, since it gives them double what we pay, they say: ‘here is the proof’. Liars, bunglers,” he said indignantly.
Finally, Petro suggested that opposition sectors may be behind the investigations against him, in order to create confusion among citizens and cast doubt on the legitimacy of his mandate. “The investigator who is a friend of Uribe, accused by false witnesses, or the other friend of Vega, is doing it to say that the campaign went too far,” said the president, insinuating that the investigation is part of an orchestrated plan to discredit his administration.
The president concluded his speech by stating that this investigation is nothing more than a consultation and not a definitive decision, but he criticized that it is being presented as such to sow doubts among the public. “You make it appear as a decision to confuse the people,” he said.
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