Colombian political party Alianza Social Afrocolombiana’s (ASA) presidential candidate Jaime Araujo protested to the Electoral Council on Tuesday that Colombian media sources RCN and Semana have treated him unfairly.
Araujo, a former president of the Constitutional Court, accused national broadcaster RCN and magazine Semana of “violating the Law of Guarantees,” which is a national law that guarantees all presidential candidates access to the media.
Araujo claims that RCN refused him a seat in a debate taking place Tuesday night. His reason for accusing “Semana” magazine of unfair treatment remains unclear.
The ASA candidate called on other presidential candidates to boycott the RCN debate in solidarity.
Araujo, and two other lesser-known presidential candidates, Robinson Devia and Jairo Calderon, also complained that the Colombian government has not issued them the subsidies guaranteed by law to all presidential candidates, reports El Tiempo.
These candidates consider themselves to be excluded from the national election debate by the media and the government.
Robinson Devia is the presidential candidate from La Voz de la Conciencia (“Voice of the Conscience”), a political movement which claims to be free from traditional political alignments such as right and left wing. However, the party has so far remained silent on the precise reforms it intends to support.
Calderon is the candidate for Apertura Liberal (“Liberal Opening”), and is having difficulties convincing the media and the people of the distinction between his party and the David Murcia Garcia Party (DMG). DMG is known for the massive pyramid fraud perpetrated by its leader. Murcia is at the moment in prison in the U.S.
Alianza Social Afrocolombiana is a political party, founded to fight for protection of the human rights of black people in Colombia.