Indigenous Guards Rally Behind Progressive Mayor in Colombia
Indigenous Guards Rally Behind Progressive Mayor in Colombia
Rick Kearns
12/27/13
Indigenous guards were among the tens of thousands of Colombians in December who rallied in support of Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro, who faces a possible removal ordered by Colombia's Inspector General Alejandro Ordoñez.
Inspector General Ordoñez said he ordered that Petro be sacked on December 9 for "violating constitutional principles of commercial competition and freedom" when Mayor Petro fired private garbage collection contractors in December 2012 and replaced them with a city-run service; what Petro called 'de-privatization'. Petro's maneuver did not work out and the private contractors returned to work three days later after thousands of tons of garbage accumulated all throughout the capital city.
Inspector Genereal Ordoñez ordered that Mayor Petro be removed from office and barred from holding any political position for 15 years. Petro refused to leave office and filed an appeal to the decision, calling it an attempt to weaken the Colombian left and the talks with FARC rebels in Cuba.
Other Colombian government officials such as Justice Minister Alfonso Gomez and many citizens, including indigenous people from around the country, condemned Ordoñez’s order.
More:
http://indiancountrytodaymedianetwork.com/2013/12/27/indigenous-guards-rally-behind-progressive-mayor-colombia-152877
