President Juan Manuel Santos Wednesday announced Polo Democratico leader Clara Lopez as the new mayor of Bogota, replacing her suspended party member Samuel Moreno.
The President made his decision from a shortlist of candidate mayors from the Polo Democratico party that also included the labor union president Tarcisio Mora and former Council of State Magistrate Jaime Moreno.
Lopez was not part of the initial list handed in by her party, but stepped in after one candidate, a member of Moreno’s council, withdrew.
The Polo Democratico was forced to look for a replacement for Moreno, after he was suspended by the Inspector General while judicial authorities are investigating him for his alleged involvement in a massive fraud scandal.
Education minister Maria Fernanda Campo acted as interim mayor after Moreno was suspended on May 3.
Lopez is in charge of the Colombian capital for little less than a year as Colombia will have local elections in October.