An unedited version of video footage depicting Oscar Ivan Zuluaga being informed of illegally gathered information was released by Colombia’s El Tiempo newspaper on Tuesday in reaction to statements that the video was “edited and manipulated.” Over the weekend, a video emerged showing Democratic Center presidential candidate Oscar Ivan Zuluaga in conversation with the arrested hacker Andres Sepulveda. But in the days after the video’s release by Semana magazine, Zuluaga made statements claiming the video to be a “montage.” His lawyer also stated that Zuluaga was “supplanted” in the video.
MORE: Zuluaga’s lawyer insists wiretapping video was ‘manipulated and edited’
“It is clear that at 3 minutes and 33 seconds and 5 minutes and 2 seconds there has been an edit. At such times it is possible to verify that the video is cut, but the sound remains the same. After 5 minutes the cut is so crude you do not need experts to determine that the video is a montage,” Zuluaga told Bogota’s Blu Radio in the aftermath of the original release.
However, in response to allegations by the candidate, El Tiempo newspaper released the completely unedited original five recordings from which Semana made their video, including all sections which were removed in the edit by Semana. Other edits included removing shots where Zuluaga was not depicted, as well as adding subtitles.
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The video was filmed by Spaniard Rafael Revert who El Tiempo reports is currently in Colombia’s witness protection program.
The five separate videos vary between 25 seconds and 10 minutes in length with the person filming often moving the camera in front of his keyboard to stop Zuluaga from spotting it, many of which moments were cut out in the final edit of the Semana video and are the moments which Zuluaga referenced as proof that the video was doctored.
Zuluaga became implicated in a wiretapping scandal in which he was filmed visiting a hacker who has been accused of illegally obtaining classified information related to the ongoing peace talks between the government and rebel group FARC, as well as spying on government officials.
The presidential candidate has been called upon to resign from the race by other candidates as well as facing a possible criminal prosecution but the presidential candidate refuses on the grounds that the video was manipulated in an attack upon him and his campaign.
MORE: Zuluaga says spy scandal is ‘no reason’ to give up presidential candidacy
Zuluaga has yet to comment on the most recent unedited release.
Sources
- Este es el video completo de la reunión de Zuluaga con el ‘hacker’ (El Tiempo)
- Este es el español que grabó a Óscar Iván Zuluaga con el ‘hacker’ (El Tiempo)
