Two mayors from towns in the north of Colombia have been sworn into office despite being in jail on murder and parapolitics charges.
Both mayors are from the troubled Cordoba department and were sworn in Friday and Saturday despite being held in Bogota‘s La Picota prison, the Colombian prison authority told the newspaper.
Jose Felix Martinez (U Party) was sworn in Friday as mayor of the town of Moñitos while in jail awaiting trial for allegedly having made a pact with paramilitary leader “El Aleman” to secure his 2004 election as mayor through paramilitary intimidation of the electorate.
Bonifacio Contreras (Liberal Party) was sworn in Saturday despite being jailed 10 days before the October 30 elections on conspiracy and murder charges. Contreras is accused of having masterminded the murder of a competing mayoral candidate in 2003.