El Ciudadano
Original article: Elección abierta en Colombia: Petro llama a dar la “batalla por la democracia” en los escrutinios ante más de 33 mil mesas impugnadas
Open Election in Colombia: Petro Urges to Fight for Democracy Amid Challenges in Counting Process
In a high-stakes open runoff in Colombia, characterized by a narrow margin between Pacto Histórico candidate Iván Cepeda and far-right contender Abelardo de la Espriella, President Gustavo Petro has called for a «new battle» in the counting process, confirming that over 33,000 polling stations have been contested.
In a detailed message on social media platform X, the president urged all democratic lawyers to attend the counts across Colombia and to gather in large numbers at Corferias, the country’s largest voting center.
Official Counting Is the Only Way to Determine the Winner
He emphasized that the result of the pre-count is merely informative and not definitive for determining the winner, with the final outcome relying on the official counting process which holds legal validity.
According to the National Electoral Council (CNE), the counting process is the official and definitive tally of votes. This procedure is based on E-14 Forms provided by election jurors, conducted by counting commissions under the supervision of electoral authorities and representatives from various political groups.
After receiving the data from each polling station, it is first classified at the municipal level and then at the departmental level. Each report is reviewed by a team comprising judges, notaries, and administration delegates, tasked with unifying and verifying the voting data. During this phase, the process is supported by delegates from the CNE, oversight bodies like the Attorney General’s Office, and party witnesses, who are authorized to raise objections on the reports to ensure all votes are accurately counted.
Vote counting will take place in every municipality; in Bogotá, this will be concentrated at Corferias. Interested individuals can go to these locations and arrange their entry through party representatives or delegates.
Once all claims have been resolved, the counting concludes and the National Electoral Council proceeds to announce the winner of the presidency.
According to the latest data from the pre-count conducted by the National Civil Registry, Iván Cepeda has secured 12,708,712 votes (48.70%), while Abelardo de la Espriella has 12,959,542 votes (49.66%). Additionally, the total number of blank votes stands at 426,848, with null votes at 220,763.
«The difference highlighted by the actual pre-count showing a 0.3 percent lead for Abelardo can always be overcome in the official counts,» stated the Colombian head of state, noting that in this context, «we must engage in this new battle for democracy and freedom.»
In his message, Petro criticized the Defensores de la Patria movement for declaring themselves winners in haste, stating it reflects a fear of the counting process.
Over 33,000 Polling Stations Have Been Contested
He reiterated that more than 33,000 polling stations have been challenged and reported alleged irregularities related to changes in IP addresses on the electoral system’s servers.
«The stations in the United States (U.S.) must be contested, as well as those affected by the changes in IP address of servers used for the pre-count and counting operations,» he asserted.
Petro: «May the Count Find the Truth«
The progressive leader indicated that a national agreement proposal has been made, yet voices advocating for the dominance of the other half of Colombia’s political landscape have begun to surface, warning that if this second approach prevails, it marks the beginning of fascism.
«In this eventuality, as human wisdom teaches us through experiences in other countries and in our own history, we must be orderly, defend life, and resist in the face of dark times. If we are forced to withdraw from government, we know from decades of resistance what actions to take. We must organize effectively, gather more strength; what we have achieved is rational and has proven its relevance in reality. There is a fair and beneficial project for Colombia and a people that loves it, we just need to resist and organize with joy and wisdom,» he noted.
Petro emphasized that during this election, the number of votes received leading to the presidency has been surpassed by Pacto Histórico candidate Iván Cepeda, noting that the social justice project has attracted over a million new people as a result of recent events and our mistakes.
«May the counting process uncover the truth,» he stressed.
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