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How dodgy clans seek to maintain power in Colombia's 2019 elections
by Adriaan Alsema July 4, 2019
At least 34 clans whose leaders have been convicted or are under investigation for their ties to death squads are taking part in Colombia’s local elections in October, according to political website La Silla Vacia.
Twenty-one of these criminal-political clans will try to regain power they lost either because their strongman ended up in prison or because they were defeated in the 2015 elections for governor of mayor. Thirteen clans will try to maintain their political control.
La Silla Vacia only monitored the big fish of questionable political clans that are either running for governor or mayor of a capital city. How many politicians are vying for the city hall of the more than 1,000 smaller municipalities is entirely unknown.
Twenty-four of the clans can count on the support of political allies in Congress where, according to the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation, 48 questionable clans were able to obtain a seat in either the senate of the House of Representatives last year.
More:
https://colombiareports.com/how-dodgy-clans-seek-to-maintain-power-in-colombias-2019-elections/
