National government yielded: dry law will begin at 6 in the afternoon this Saturday

The expectation caused by the Champions League final in the bar and nightclub guild motivated the decision

Despite the fact that the district has already issued the decree authorizing the tests, it has not yet been started due to lack of permissions. Via: Colprensa

The Government of Colombia finally gave in to the requests of soccer fans and the Asobares union to delay the beginning of the dry law next Saturday, May 28, so that establishments that sell alcohol can benefit from the UEFA Champions final League.

Article 206 of the current Electoral Code establishes the start of dry law for six in the afternoon the day before electoral elections.

“The sale and consumption of intoxicating beverages is prohibited from six in the evening of the day before the day on which the voting is to take placeuntil six in the morning of the day after the election”, says the norm.

However, at the end of the Security Council in Arauca last Tuesday, May 24 , the Minister of the Interior, Daniel Palacios, had announced that the restriction on alcoholic beverages would begin two hours earlier than indicated in the Electoral Codeand would last six more hours at the end:< /p>

“The public order decree for this weekend has been issued, and that the Prohibition Law will govern throughout the national territory, both the sale and the consumption, starting this Saturday (May 28) at 4 in the afternoon and will last until Monday at 12 noon. With that, the dry law measure is established and it will be mandatory for the entire national territory.”

Precisely the beginning of the restriction is what worried Asobares, since the final match of the UEFA Champions League, which will pit Liverpool FC against Real Madrid, will start at two in the afternoon on Saturday. Then, the sports commitment would intersect with the beginning of the dry law and would prevent thousands of international soccer fans from consuming in their establishments.

Among other things, this match has caused great expectation because a brilliant participation is expected from the Guajiro player Luis Díaz, who is part of the English team, and because of the soccer hierarchy of his Spanish rival. In addition, the final of the European Champions League has always been a show expected by Colombian soccer fans.

Given the situation, the union of nightclubs sent a message to the national government.

“Given yesterday’s announcement of the implementation of the dry law for the upcoming election day, which establishes the starting time for 4 pm on Saturday, May 28, we request that said time be changed to 6 pm, since hundreds of businesses, millions of viewers and thousands of workers from different activities will broadcast, live and work for the Champions League final match,” the petition said.

In fact, the president of Asobares, Camilo Ospinaassured that more than 50,000 establishments are ready to receive the public and take advantage of the match for their commercial activity. Although he acknowledges that this does not mean that the establishment has to close, both the establishment and the consumer should stop consuming and selling liquor. Although they could continue to sell other products, such as food, this sudden change would generate trauma that will prevent the proper application of the rule.

Finally, the national government responded to the request of the union of bars and nightclubs. The issue was discussed in the last National Commission for Electoral Guarantees, which took place this Thursday, May 26, and they gave free rein to initiate the dry law two hours later than planned: on Saturday 28 at six in the afternoon.< /p>

Then, the restriction to sell intoxicating beverages will begin at six in the afternoon, once the commitment is over and as originally indicated by the Electoral Code. Even if the match is decided on penalty kicks, the game is expected to be over at the appointed time.