Guaranteeing security in the territories, protecting voters and candidates, and strengthening trust in institutions were the axes of the second panel of the #PeaceElectoral Digital Marathon, organized by EL TIEMPO Casa Editorial in alliance with the Attorney General’s Office.
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The space, titled “Security and peace: elections without fear in the territories”, had the participation of the Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez; the Ombudsman, Iris Marín; and the director of the National Police, Major General Carlos Fernando Triana, who presented the current security panorama in the country and the strategies to guarantee the development of the elections in a peaceful environment.
During his speech, Minister Sánchez highlighted that the Ombudsman’s Office has been a key source in the planning of the institutional electoral security strategy. “The Ombudsman’s Office is one of the 15 sources that provide information for our analysis, and based on this we identified 104 municipalities at risk, where we must focus our greatest efforts,” he explained.
The head of the Defense portfolio specified that the joint work between the Military Forces, the National Police and the control agencies seeks to anticipate possible threats in the most vulnerable territories. “Electoral security does not depend only on us; it is also influenced by the behavior and tone of the political debate of candidates and citizens”he stated, alluding to the need for an environment of respect and responsibility during the campaign.
Sánchez assured that, despite the alerts, The Government maintains its commitment to guaranteeing elections throughout the country. “Of course we are going to have elections, as happened in 2021. There were also risks and we managed to ensure that the elections took place normally. This year we even held atypical elections, like in Putumayo, which were completely transparent”, he noted.
The minister reported that currentlyThere are 13,400 voting stations enabled, and that security strategies are concentrated in critical regions such as El Plateado and Tumaco, where the institutional presence will be reinforced. “We have focused on the most complex areas, especially in the southwest, the Micay Canyon and the rural areas of Tumaco. For this reason, the vacations of all military and police personnel were canceled during the electoral period.”he pointed out.
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Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez.
Mauricio Moreno, EL TIEMPO.
In addition to the territorial component, Sánchez warned about the impact of disinformation, which he described as a growing threat to democratic stability. “53% of the information circulating is false. That is why we will strengthen cybersecurity capabilities to detect and counteract misleading content that may affect citizen trust.”he indicated.
Among the main measures, The minister announced the creation of a comprehensive electoral security system by 2026, articulated between the Ministry of the Interior, the National Registry, the Attorney General’s Office and other control organizations. This plan will include the presence of observers at the voting centers, the installation of real-time monitoring systems and the use of electro-optical technologies to record the development of the day.
Likewise, digital tools will be launched to strengthen citizen participation. ““We are generating an application and a chatbot to receive reports about risks or threats during the electoral process”explained Sánchez, who added that these platforms will complement the work of Uriel, the Ministry of the Interior’s tool to report electoral corruption.
The security device will be deployed at three levels: urban centers, large areas and areas with difficult access, with the coordinated action of the Military Forces and the National Police. At the center of the strategy will be an Integrated Information and Intelligence Center, in charge of monitoring the process and issuing early warnings. “The key to everything is having information in real time to make the right decisions,” he emphasized.
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Regarding resourcesSánchez assured that the national government has already included the budget for the execution of the plan in the 2026 fiscal framework and that President Gustavo Petro has been emphatic in guaranteeing safe, transparent and free elections. Part of the funds will be allocated to strengthening the intelligence, mobility and command of the Armed Forces.
“We are evaluating support options with our defense sector companies to acquire capabilities as quickly as possible”concluded the minister, reiterating that electoral security will be a State priority in the coming months.
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