Colombia’s prosecution “used to export cocaine,” says president
Colombia’s government coalition cracks
Colombia’s prosecution calls Uribe to testify over massacres...
Colombia’s peace commissioner replaced
Colombia registers 5 massacres in 48 hours
Colombia’s deputy chief prosecutor denies mafia links
War crimes tribunal indicts Colombia’s former army chief...
Uribe helped plan 1997 massacre, former warlord tells...
Colombia’s war crimes tribunal allows submission of former...
Colombia’s deputy chief prosecutor again linked to drug...
  • About
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion
News

Colombia’s opposition calls for protests against attempted ‘coup’

by Adriaan Alsema March 18, 2021
5.5K

Colombia’s opposition called for protests on Wednesday to halt attempts by the coalition of far-right President Ivan Duque to postpone elections.

Leading opposition lawmakers called on their constituencies to take to the streets to an alleged coalition attempt to lobby support to postpone the elections until 2022.

Duque publicly said to step down in August next year, but his far-right Democratic Center party has been rallying support to postpone the vote, opposition House Representative Katherine Miranda said Wednesday.

The proposal to postpone the elections and let them coincide with local elections was initially coined by Gilberto Toro, the president of the National Federation of Municipalities.

Toro’s proposal has been made multiple times before and was dismissed until Miranda (Green Alliance) found lawmakers were lobbying support to present a constitutional amendment that would allow an extension of Duque’s term.

According to the representative, this amendment would weaken the checks and balances of power provided by the constitution. “It’s a coup!” the representative tweeted.

Congress cannot take away the sovereignty of the people and expand its mandate without asking the citizens.

House Representative Katherine Miranda

The centrist representative called on her constituents to take to the street, which was supported by opposition Senator Gustavo Petro, who plans to run for president next year.

“They are preparing to stage a coup,” Petro tweeted, adding that “this isn’t only countered in Congress. A coup is confronted in the streets by the mobilization of the people.”

Democratic social and political organizations, and labor unions — without partisanship — must coordinate plans of action for a mobilization of the people.

Senator Gustavo Petro

The call to protest was supported by Petro’s rivals of the “Coalition of Hope,” which is set to choose its own candidate for the 2022 elections, and supporters of the senator’s “Historic Pact.

The outrage with which the old machines intend to cancel the elections, destroying democracy, will have the following 3 responses:
1) We will demand the loss of investiture.
2) We will sink it in the First Commission
3). Citizens will mobilize in the streets and in 2022.

Senator Roy Barreras

Duque’s political patron, former President Alvaro Uribe, was able to illegally extend his time in office after ministers bribed lawmakers into voting in favor of a constitutional amendment.

Uribe’s second attempt was sunk by the Constitutional Court. Duque’s predecessor, former President Juan Manuel Santos, revoked the amendment after having secured his own reelection in 2014.

2022 elections

Contribute

Trending

  • Uribe helped plan 1997 massacre, former warlord tells Colombia’s war crimes tribunal

  • Colombia registers 5 massacres in 48 hours

  • War crimes tribunal indicts Colombia’s former army chief over extrajudicial executions

For patrons

Downloads for patrons

Related articles

  • Colombia’s prosecution orders investigations into Petro campaign

  • Drug trafficking group infiltrated party of Colombia’s president

  • The devastating charges against the son of Colombia’s president

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Rss

@2008-2019 - Colombia Reports. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Digitale Zaken and Parrolabs


Back To Top
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion