Gustavo Petro, elected as the next mayor of Bogota, could be barred from taking office due to a previous criminal conviction.
Petro, who was elected as mayor of Colombia’s capital on October 30, was summoned to appear before the Administrative Tribunal of Cundinamarca next Wednesday to determine if he is fit to take office.
The matter was brought to attention by Bogota city counselor Orlando Parada, who deemed Petro disqualified to act as the capital’s mayor due to a previous conviction.
In 1985, when Bogota’s mayor-elect was still a member of the urban guerrilla movement M-19, Petro was convicted over illegal arms possession by a military court, a crime that might prevent him from stepping into office on January 1.