An assassinated politician was elected mayor of Magui Payan, in Colombia’s southwest department of Nariño.
Luis Gonzalo Marinez was gunned-down October 14 while he was running for mayor, but there was no time to put his replacement, Jimmy Alexander Hurtado Caicedo, on the ballot, so the people decided to elect the deceased politician.
According to Nariño Registrar Delegate Franco Bravo, the situation was anticipated by Law 1465, which states that votes appearing to name a deceased candidate shall go to the person who replaced him, and not to the runner-up, who in this case was Walter Hernando Quiñonez.
The issue has sparked controversy among politicians who believe that the elections should be repeated.
Mayor-elect Hurtado explained that the day belonged to Marinez and that he will “continue his program to honor his memory.”