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Latin America
Related: About this forumColombia's leading opposition politician at risk of losing senate seat
by Megan Janetsky November 23, 2018
The Senate seat of one of Colombias leading opposition politicians, Gustavo Petro, have been thrust into limbo after a high court revived controversial fiscal sanctions against the leftist politician.
Those sanctions, without appeal, would act as a major political barrier for Petro who, along with his Humane Colombia movement, received massive public support in presidential elections this year, but is struggling not to be excluded from politics.
Petros controversial fine for lowering bus fare
The recent ruling by the State Council relate to a staggering $70 million fine slapped on Petro in 2016, on charges that the former Bogota mayor hurt the citys finances when lowering public transport fares in 2012.
The fine was lodged against the former presidential candidate by Bogotas comptroller, Juan Carlos Granados, a former governor and member of the notoriously corrupt Radical Change party.
More:
https://colombiareports.com/colombias-leading-opposition-politician-at-risk-of-losing-senate-seat/
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Gustavo Petro, Wikipedia:
. . .
Opposition to the Uribe Government[edit]
See also: Álvaro Uribe
Senator Petro has vehemently opposed the government of Álvaro Uribe. In 2005, while a member of the Chamber of Representatives of Colombia, Petro denounced the lottery businesswoman Enilse López (also known as "La Gata" [the cat]). As of May 2009, she is imprisoned and under investigation for ties to the (now disbanded) paramilitary group United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). Senator Petro alleged that the AUC financially contributed to the presidential campaign of Álvaro Uribe in 2002. Uribe refuted these statements by Petro but, during his presidential reelection campaign in 2006, admitted to having received financial support from Enilse López.[14]
During Álvaro Uribe's second term as president, Petro encouraged debate on the Parapolitics scandal. In February 2007 Petro began a public verbal dispute with President Uribe when Petro suggested that the president should have recused himself from negotiating the demobilization process of paramilitaries in Colombia; this followed accusations that Uribe's brother, Santiago Uribe, was a former member of the Twelve Apostles paramilitary group in the mid-1990s. President Uribe responded by accusing Petro of being a "terrorist in civilian clothing" and by summoning the opposition to an open debate.[15]
On April 17, 2007, Senator Petro began a debate in Congress about CONVIVIR and the development of paramilitarism in Antioquia Department. During a two-hour speech he revealed a variety of documents demonstrating the relationship between members of the Colombian military, the current political leadership, narcotraffickers and paramilitary groups. Petro also criticized the actions of Álvaro Uribe as Governor of Antioquia Department during the CONVIVIR years, and presented an old photograph of Álvaro Uribe's brother, Santiago, alongside Colombian drug trafficker Fabio Ochoa Vázquez.[16]
. . .
Death threats[edit]
Petro has frequently reported threats against his life and the lives of his family, as well as persecution by government-run security organizations.[20] On May 7, 2007 the Colombian army captured two Colombian Army intelligence non-commissioned officers that had been spying on Petro and his family in the municipality of Tenjo, Cundinamarca. These members had first identified themselves as members of the Departamento Administrativo de Seguridad (DAS) the Colombian Intelligence Agency but their claims were later denied by Andrés Peñate, director of the agency.[21]
More:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustavo_Petro
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