The director of the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE), Alejandra Barrios, warned that the Democracy Plan, approved at the end of last year, It has had to be adjusted due to the increase in threats and attacks against political leaderships, as well as new ways of actions of illegal illegal groups.
As explained, the changes respond to three main factors: the increase in attacks against leaders, the high impact operations of illegal actors and the use of drones in violent actions.
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“At the beginning of the year we start with political leadership of a very local level. From August we are already seeing that the profile of those people who have been threatened, governor of the Valley, of Cauca, mayor of Medellín, etc.” Barrios pointed out.
The official said They have registered high -visibility operations, such as the placement of under -up fields in Medellín around energy towers and acts of violence in Florence and Cali, which has affected the main capitals of the country. He added that the Armed Forces must incorporate new strategies to face the use of drones by illegal armed actors.
“That means adjustments to the democracy plan, which has been doing it properly by the Colombian army and the armed forces,” He pointed out.
Departments on alert for political violence
The MOE identified four departments at high risk if the elections are currently held: Cauca, Valle del Cauca, Bolívar and Norte de Santander. In these areas, most facts of lethal violence and the active presence of illegal armed groups are concentrated.
“In these four departments we consider that if at this time they were the elections, we would obviously have a high risk alert,” Barrios said.
The director said that, although the situation is complex, there is still time for authorities to take measures that guarantee security to candidates and voters. He recalled that, al Not yet to have opened the registration stage of candidacies, there are no official applicants under risk, But it is required to prepare the land for when the electoral calendar begins.
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“The necessary security adjustments are being made in the territories that the Colombian Armed Forces have defined as of higher priority,” He added.
On the possibility of making elections in these departments, Barrios said it would be feasible, although with difficulties. “What would very possibly happen is that from rural areas it would have to move some voting positions to municipal headwaters,” explained. This measure, he clarified, could limit the right to vote of rural inhabitants, although in capital cities and medium municipalities The process could be carried out normally.
Violence against political leadership and need to follow up
According to the figures delivered to the military authorities, Between January 1 and July of this year there were 208 acts of violence against social, political and communal leaderships. Half of these events went specifically against political leaders.
The departments with the highest concentration of lethal violence are Cauca, Valle del Cauca and Bolívar. “It is the year that has begun with greater acts of violence, election year since 2018,” Barrios said. Between January 1 and July 8 1,404 violent actions were counted, which, according to MOE, reflects a scenario of confrontation of illegal armed groups in some territories.
The official insisted that the appropriate space to discuss these alerts is the National Electoral Monitoring Commission, convened by the Government. “The last one was made approximately a month and a half or two months ago, electoral monitoring commissions have not been made again, and that is the scenario par excellence for the political organizations of all ideological positions to feel,” Indian.
Barrios called on the parties that were absent from the last session of the Commission as a sign of protest. “If a new one is cited, please, attend, that is the table of governance of the elections,” He stressed.
In that sense, he stressed the urgency of convening this mechanism. “Normally, in a situation like the one we are, an electoral monitoring commission would have to be at least monthly.”he said.
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2026 will be a crucial year for politics in Colombia.
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The director also highlighted the need to include in the discussions the next milestones of the electoral calendar, including internal parties consultations and youth councils. In addition, he mentioned that the MOE participated in an event of the National Electoral Council focused on preventing violence against women in politics.
Regarding the state presence in the most critical territories, Barrios indicated that “The State has a presence in absolutely the whole country.” He recognized, however, that in some regions the levels of violence are higher due to the presence of armed actors, although he reiterated that there is a decision to guarantee the realization of elections and security schemes to candidates.
“What it means is that you have to take the necessary measures to be able to do adequate risk management that allows you to go to an electoral process safely for the candidates, for the voting jurors, for public officials and for citizens who come to vote”he said.
Finally, he argued that the central challenge is to implement actions to avoid table transfers from rural areas to municipal headwaters, in order not to affect the right to vote. “One of the measures is precisely to be able to adopt the necessary actions to avoid having to move some voting position to the municipal headwaters. That is precisely the challenge we have for the March elections of next year, first and second round presidential,” concluded.
Paula Galeano Balaguera
Portfolio journalist
