Six candidates in Colombia’s upcoming local elections have been murdered in the last week alone, the Polo Democratico’s Camilo Romero told the senate on Tuesday.
According to Colombian media, Romero painted a bleak picture of the coming elections. According to the senator, 27 candidates have now been assassinated, while at least 66 more have received threats and been pressured to drop out of the race.
In addition, 978 municipalities have been identified as at risk, with a high possibility of armed groups using threats and intimidation to influence the outcome of the elections.
According to an Electoral Observation Mission (MOE) report released in July, the departments most affected by the political violence are Antioquia (29%), Valle (8%), Arauca (6%) and Norte de Santander (4%).