The northern Colombian village of Turbaco will be using “Demo” the donkey to run local campaigns in support of the re-election of U.S. President Barack Obama.
Demo will be campaigning the streets of Turbaco in the northern Bolivar department as a great Democrat symbol to raise funds in support of the U.S. re-election of Obama, reported newspaper El Tiempo Tuesday.
The animal has been living as a king throughout his five months of existence in the village where he resides, and is by far Colombia’s most famous donkey after his owner, Silvio Carrasquilla, intended to gift Demo to President Obama while he was in Colombia for the 6th Summit of the Americas.
Residents of Turbaco, which is located four miles away from Cartagena, had hoped that Obama would visit the village after he attended the Summit. Though the U.S. president was unable to make it to Turbaco, he sent a personal note to Carrasquilla to pass along to the Colombian residents.
Carrasquilla has supported Obama for years and will be accompanying Demo throughout the municipality to help collect funds to, “make a great symbolic campaign and strengthen the small advantage that we have against Mitt Romney (conservative candidate). With this we will guarantee the re-election,” said Carrasquilla.
On August 4 the former mayor took the donkey from the farm where he was living to the main plaza of the village to celebrate the birthday of his idol, where cake and refreshments were provided as well.
Carrasquilla had opened an unofficial election campaign center in the Caribbean town in 2008, where the village held mock elections in which Obama won over candidate John McCain.
The ex-mayor said that the symbolic process will be repeated this November because even though the votes won’t determine the U.S. presidency, “we will have the security in knowing that they will send a direct message to the heart of our president,” Carrasquilla said with pride.