Gustavo Petro, the current mayor of Bogota, has taken to Twitter in the last 24 hours to acknowledge his reinstatement.
On Tuesday night, the Superior Court of Bogota ordered President Juan Manuel Santos to reinstate the formerly dismissed mayor of Bogota, Gustavo Petro.
MORE: Court orders Santos to reinstate dismissed Bogota mayor
Petro was initially dismissed and barred from holding public office for 15 years by Colombia’s Inspector General in December 2013, for his attempts to bring the capital city’s trash collection under public service.
MORE: Santos reinstates Bogota mayor, ending months of of judicial chaos
Tuesday’s decision followed a series of lawsuits and an intervention by the Inter-American Comission for Human Rights, that ordered the president to reject the Inspector General’s order, as it would infringe on the Bogota citizenry’s right to vote, as well as Petro’s right to be elected.
Mayor’s office silent but Petro hits Twitter
On Wednesday morning, Colombia Reports spoke with the Petro’s press secretary, who refused to comment on the situation until the mayor’s staff had decided how it would formerly proceed.
Petro has, however, taken to Twitter to acknowledge the court’s decision and express his feelings about the reinstatement.
In a post on Tuesday night, following the announcement, Petro lauded the Superior Court’s decision.
“This time the Superior Court of Bogota has protected political rights, which are also human rights, both of Bogota’s citizenry and my own.”
Esta vez Tribunal Superior de Bogotá protege derechos políticos, que son derechos humanos de la ciudadanía bogotana, de Bogotá y los míos
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) April 22, 2014
In subsequent posts, Petro took to the social media site to criticize the Inspector General’s Office and to lay out his priorities as the mayor of Colombia’s capital city.
“This time we see the Inspector General’s Office stripped naked. Not as an institution that protects human rights, but rather as an inquisition.”
Esta vez veremos la Procuraduría en toda su desnudez. No como institucion protectora de derechos humanos, sino como la Inquisición provocada
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) April 23, 2014
“The object remains the same: Strengthen democracy, end war in Colombia, and re-establish rule of law.”
El objetivo sigue el mismo: Profundizar la Democracia, sacar a Colombia de la guerra y volver realidad el Estado Social de Derecho.
— Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) April 23, 2014
Gustavo Petro, Bogota’s recently reinstated mayor, was removed from office in December 2013 due to alleged “irregularities” that were uncovered in his attempts to transfer the city’s privatized garbage collection system into public hands. This allegedly resulted in 9,920 tons of uncollected garbage left on the streets.
As a result, Colombia’s Inspector General, Alejandro Ordoñez, decided to dismiss the city’s mayor and ban him from serving in public office for 15 years.
On Tuesday night however, the Superior Court of Bogota — a district appellate court — ordered the Santos administration to comply with a ruling issued by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights, which called on the Colombian government to suspend a ruling of the country’s Inspector General ordering Petro’s removal.
According to newspaper El Espectador, the court gave Santos 48 hours to reinstate the former mayor.
More drama ahead
Colombia’s electoral authority announced on Wednesday that it will resume an impeachment referendum process against the mayor of Bogota
On the same day that Santos was forced to back down Petro’s dismissal, the National Registry reportedly resumed the process to allow Bogota citizens to decide whether they want their mayor to finish his 2012-2016 term or whether they want early elections.
The mayor of Bogota is widely considered to be one of the most important figures in Colombian politics.
Sources
- @petrogustavo (Twitter)
- Tribunal Superior ordenó restituir a Gustavo Petro a la Alcaldía de Bogotá (El Espectador)