Apparently mayors of the neighboring country are delivering markets and transporting people with dual citizenship to vote at border tables. The Colombian Prosecutor’s Office assured that, in addition to this complaint, another 573 cases of possible electoral crimes are being handled.
The complaints are being issued from the border with Venezuela/Reference photo: Colprensa
According to the complaint, in San Cristóbal, Rubio, San Antonio del Táchira, Capacho and some other towns in Venezuela they are looking for people who can participate in the Colombian presidential elections, offering them, among other things, markets in exchange for the vote.
According to Caracol Radio, the mayor of the Bolívar municipality, Táchira state , from Venezuela, Sandra Sánchez, is apparently participating in the Historic Pact campaign, added to publications on social networks where he ‘sees with good eyes’ a possible government of Gustavo Petro, which would allow a reestablishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
W Radio published an interview with one of the alleged people who would be traveling from Venezuelan territory to vote, in principle, they assure that they arrived there of their own free will, but, once they entered Cúcuta, they began to offer markets to vote change.
“As Colombians residing abroad, we are concerned about what is happening in the middle of the lessons, the delivery of gifts to support one or another candidate, we ask the authorities to address the complaints that have been filed in the border area. They are also using buses to mobilize voters from various municipalities in Venezuela to the border. This service was offered to my family, but we did not accept being transferred and we did it by our own means.”
In addition to this complaint, the Association of Colombians in Venezuela has reported that only 1% of Colombians will be able to vote in the presidential elections, mainly due to the fact that they will only be able to do so if they cross the border , which has serious security risks, added to the high cost that it can generate for some to exercise their right to transport.
This occurs because in Colombia no tables were set up for Colombians to vote in the neighboring country, the Foreign Ministry confirmed to Infobae that the provision was install polling stations in the border areas, which, according to the Registry’s Office, are a total of 6 voting stations with 95 polling stations that intend to replace the 34 places that were available in the Colombian consulates in Venezuela.
The posts are located in Arauca, Inírida, Maicao, Cúcuta and Villa del Rosario, the latter two in the department of Norte de Santander. These tables have been enabled and receiving votes since last Monday, May 23.
The Attorney General of the Nation, Francisco Barbosa, assured that several officials have been arranged to attend to any case or complaint that arises during election day; He added that the judicial entity is currently investigating 573 cases related to voting irregularities.
“The Attorney General’s Office is ready to act with determination against electoral corruption that may arise in the elections next Sunday. In this sense, sign resolution 0438 of May 25, 2022, by means of which the work teams are highlighted to deal with the criminal phenomena that affect this electoral day. The Prosecutor’s Office will be present in the territories, the management team with more than 5,000 prosecutors will go to the regions where there is a risk of corruption, or disturbances of public order; and they will form itinerant teams to guarantee follow-up and an effective initial reaction. In addition, there will be support from the CTI, and through urgent acts of investigation, material evidence will be ensured in the event of any eventuality.”
According to Barbosa explained, his The strategy is made up of 5 axes: celectoral corruption, effects on free political exercise, personal computer security, candidacies for the peace agreement and irregular financing. He added that they currently have 573 active cases for electoral complaints, of which 564 are under investigation, 5 under investigation and 4 in trial.
The most investigated crimes are corruption of the voter, constraint to the voter, fraudulent vote, threats and fraud to the voter.
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