The controversial Party for National Intetration (PIN) asked Thursday to be a part of President Juan Santos’ political coalition following the Green Party’s announcement that it would join.
Senator Edgar Espindola, who serves as the spokesman for the PIN, said that his party had asked to “accompany President Juan Miguel Santos as president of the republic at this time.” Espindola said that he has been “working with the government” and that his party “is in solidarity with the proposals of the head of state.”
The Senator added that his party considers itself “part of the national unity, but we are not mentioned.”
The PIN’s request closely follows the Green Party’s announcement that it would join Santos’ coaltion Thursday morning. The party asked to join with Santos in September of 2010, but has not yet done so.
The party is controversial in Colombian politics because of the high proportion of its members that have benefited from ties to paramilitaries. In 2010, it was reported that the party’s leader–who was serving jail time in prison for supporting Colombia’s chief paramilitary group, the AUC—was still running the party from prison.
So far Santos has not responded to the PIN’s offer.