Former President Alvaro Uribe’s public backing of the Green Party’s candidate for Bogota mayor creates fissures in the pro-Uribe Partido de la U, and prompts protests by young Green Party supporters.
Uribe’s decision to support Enrique Peñalosa, a former Bogota mayor and current Green Party candidate, who Partido de la U member and Senate President Armando Benedetti has also backed, has been met with strong resistance from the government party, Caracol reported Wednesday.
Senator Roy Barreras, along with many council members and district leaders within the party, are advocating the promotion of their own candidate and have subsequently circulated an internal party survey with the names of ten possible party candidates.
A final decision is not expected until at least two months, offering an advantage to the nominees who have already declared themselves.
Enrique Peñalosa and his Green Party face problems of their own, however, with the news that youthful supporters of former presidential candidate Antanas Mockus have organized a “Green wave” vigil via social networking sites such as Facebook.
Caracol reports that the protesters are scheduled to meet on Thursday in order to voice their objection to Peñalosa’s supposed betrayal of Green Party ideals and demand that he not make decisions behind closed doors.
Seeking to play down any potential unrest, Green Party Senator John Sudarsky said that “Peñalosa is not the candidate of Uribe.”
He added that, while they cannot stop Uribe’s support, there will be no alliance with the Partido de la U and that the party unequivocally objects to an “anything goes” policy to achieve power, W Radio reports.
Aside from Peñalosa, the only other confirmed candidates thus far are David Luna of the Liberal Party and Cambio Radical nominee Carlos Fernando Galan.
The Polo Democratico, meanwhile, are in turmoil due to the scandal surrounding incumbent Mayor Samuel Moreno, with nobody appearing prepared to resurrect the party’s popularity.
The mayoral election is due to take place in October of this year.