Colombian police have begun an investigation into threatening pamphlets and allegations of bribery in the mayoral race in Cali, the capital of the western Colombian department of Valle del Cauca, El Espectador reported Tuesday.
Fifteen specialists from DIJIN, Colombia’s judicial police, have been called in to investigate the sources of the electoral corruption.
“What is unacceptable is that we have found threatening flyers that seem to arise from within some campaigns against other candidates in the Valle del Cauca,” said Colombian Police Commander Oscar Naranjo.
“We have moved 15 DIJIN investigators, experts on electoral cyber-crime, to investigate and ensure that all individual responsibilities are met in the case of complaints of candidates who have been subjected to pressure and manipulation by narco-trafficking groups.”
Naranjo speculated that criminal organizations could be asking candidates for as much as $1.12 million to secure a victory in the October elections.
Former mayoral candidates Susana Correa and Rodrigo Guerrero, who were excluded from the race Friday for illegally registering with the signatures of prisoners, nonexistent voters, and dead people, both reported being approached by criminal offenders, Naranjo said.
The offenders reportedly offered to fix the candidates’ problems with registry signatures in return for a large bribe.