A majority of Colombia’s National Electoral Council has approved an investigation into the 2022 election campaign of President Gustavo Petro over alleged violation of financing limits, the council confirmed in a statement Tuesday. Nine out of the Council’s 10 magistrates voted in favor of the investigation.
The investigation was put into motion by a report put forward by two magistrates containing allegations that Petro’s campaign exceeded financial limits by $1.2 million. Article 109 of the Political Constitution of Colombia of 1991 requires parties, movements and candidates to publicly account for the amount, the sources, and the use of their funds. If the allegations against Petro are proven, the council could impose financial penalties.
According to the statement, during the course of Petro’s 2022 campaign, various financial contributions, payment reports and expense reports were omitted. The council also alleged that the campaign received prohibited financing from the Columbian Federation of Education Works and other legal entities. The investigation will extend to Petro’s campaign manager, treasurer and auditors.
Petro described the decision on Facebook as “[t]he beginning of the Coup D’etat.” “The presidential comprehensive forum has been violated and the rule of law and respect for the popular vote and democracy has been broken,” he said.
In an address to the nation, he profusely denied the allegations as unfounded and urged his supporters to mobilize in opposition:
The Council’s allegations are unfounded, and if my guarantees had been respected, the citizenry would known that my actions were not only fully honest but that I am facing an administrative authority captured by the opposition, which seeks at all costs to cast out on my integrity.
Petro has requested that the file be made public so the citizenry can review the testimonial evidence, documentaries, and judicial inspections that the allegations rely on. “It is through evidence that I claim my innocence and censure the illegal and unconstitutional actions of the National Electoral Council,” he said.
