Debate over Uribe’s alleged paramilitary past shot down in Senate
Debate over Uribe’s alleged paramilitary past shot down in Senate
Jul 29, 2014 posted by Daniel Medendorp Escobar
A debate on Senator Alvaro Uribe’s alleged links to now-defunct paramilitary groups was shot down by Colombia’s Senate on Tuesday, after days of the debate monopolizing the first week of the former president’s new political playground.
Senator Ivan Cepeda from the Alternative Democratic Pole (Polo Democrático Alternativo — PDA), a fierce opponent of the the president-turned-senator, proposed a debate over the topic but saw it shot down by the Senate in a 52-30 vote.
During the preliminary debate about whether or not to approve the debate, prominent left-wing and centrist members of congress including Jorge Enrique Robledo, Luis Fernando Velasco and Claudia Lopez spoke in favor of the initiative. Senators Ernesto Macias and Roy Barreras were included in those who spoke against the debate.
Uribe, supported by his bench and numerous senators from other parties, spoke out against the debate. Uribe, despite his apparent opposition to the debate on the Senate floor, voted in favor of the motion. Uribe’s party, the Democratic Center (Centro Democrático — CD) voted against the motion.
More:
http://colombiareports.co/debate-uribes-alleged-paramilitary-past-shot-senate/