The Attorney General’s office has temporarily suspended Daniel Quintero from his position as mayor of Medellin following a video in which the president appears in a truck holding the gearshift lever and moving it to the left, saying, “Change first.”
(In context: Daniel Quintero sparks controversy for a new video: ‘Change before’)
“The Attorney General’s Office has the constitutional and legal authority to investigate, suspend and impose sanctions on all public officials in the country, including those elected by popular vote, even in cases of dismissal and disability,” said attorney Margarita Cabello Blanco.
After learning the suspension, Quintero tweeted: “He started the coup in Colombia”.
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In total, Cabello announced the opening of an investigation and the temporary suspension of four public officials. “alleged and repeated interference in political activities and debates”.
(You can read: Petro reacts to Daniel Quintero’s dismissal as mayor of Medellín)
In addition to Quintero, Andrés Fabián Hurtado Barrera, mayor of Ibagué, councilor Gustavo Adolfo Herrera Zapata from Calarcá (Quindio), and Grenfell Lozano Guerrero, representative of Nátaga (Huila).
The mayor of Ibagué is being investigated for stating in his statements to the media that various parties and movements will vote in the referendum to elect their presidential candidates and will vote for Team Colombia. Referring indirectly to candidate Federico Gutiérrez, he added, “I identify with … all proposals that favor moving our country forward.”
These decisions are the first sanctions against elected officials after Congress passed the law reforming the disciplinary law to adapt it to what was ordered by the Inter-American Court of Human Rights (IACHR) in the Petro case.
The decision was made “because of alleged and repeated interference in political activities and debates” by attorney general Margarita Cabello Blanco, adding that social networks and media cannot be used to influence the impartiality of the electoral process.
According to current regulations, any suspension due to investigation, It is valid for three months and a further extension of three months is allowed.
“As Attorney General I should and always try to keep the balance and avoid being part of the debate, but as I said the day I took office, I say to you: Make no mistake with me. It will continue to move,” he said.
Total, The Public Ministry is conducting more than 500 disciplinary investigations for alleged involvement in politics. Those investigated include Claudia López, the mayor of Bogota; William Dau, mayor of Cartagena; Carlos Marín, mayor of Manizales, and Arnulfo Gasca, governor of Caquetá.
In addition to this Tuesday, The mayor of Medellin has two disciplinary proceedings and 11 ongoing preliminary investigations at the National Attorney General’s Office.
Between 14 December 2021 and last 19 January alone, the Ministry of Public Affairs put a magnifying glass on its behavior for three cases involving unauthorized travel abroad, in which the president spoke of ‘cartelisation’ within the Antioquian Business Group (GEA). and some trills against paisa newspaper Colombian.
On 14 December, the First Delegation of Administrative Oversight opened an investigation to determine whether the right to freedom of the press was violated and the press was censored as a result of the demonstrations by Quintero and his friends. Government Secretary Stephen Restrepo.
Another preliminary investigation against Quintero, filed on January 18, allegedly resulted from a trip he made to Miami, United States, on November 18 and 20, 2021, without the Medellín District Council’s authority to establish a disciplinary offense.
According to Quintero’s statements in an interview citing the Antioquia Business Group, just one day after the Public Ministry started the preliminary process for the trip, an additional process began.
Source: Exame
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