poor columbia

They announce to us with fanfare, the ceasefire with the ELN that allows them to continue kidnapping, extorting and exercising territorial control. The agreement leads to situations as absurd as the actions of the Public Force in the face of an attempted kidnapping; If they attack, do they violate the ceasefire, since kidnapping is part of the accepted hostilities?

It’s thick smoke to cover the already dark scenario that has been unfolding about campaign finance and the increasingly gruesome hacking scandal.

We knew about the money in cash, from gangsters, that the President’s son had received; and that they would not have reached the campaign, because the dolphin stole them. We knew that the CNE had launched an investigation into the use of cash from the Petro Presidente campaign; even the use of the personal account of the then manager Ricardo Roa, today manager of Ecopetrol (the same one that today is marked by the juicy state contracts of his sentimental partner). We also already knew that the army of electoral witnesses, more than 70,000, received their payment in cash through money transfer companies, for an estimated value of 60,000 pesos. All these resources were in cash, they were not reported in the campaign and they were handled by one of the Spaniards questioned in his country – and who were quickly nationalized by decision of President Petro.

What was new were the words of Benedetti that sentenced that if it was known who financed the campaign they would all end up in jail. These chats have become known due to the scandal of the pranks of the babysitter and the employee of Laura Sarabia -Petro’s chief of staff-. Chuzadas where they were made to pass as part of the Clan del Golfo structure to, in reality, investigate a robbery of cash.

Now a lieutenant colonel who would be involved in the matter appears dead. His death is announced by Petro’s lawyer from the outset as a suicide. The lieutenant colonel was unable to speak to the Prosecutor’s Office despite having expressed his willingness to do so. The President’s Twitter confirms that he was at the forefront; so they already have information on the matter that they have not shared with the country. The most serious thing is, as Petro himself asks Benedetti, what do the babysitter’s audios say?

The obscurity of the matter continues to increase and, of course, many of us wonder about the amount lost by Sarabia: ranging from $7,000 that he denounced as stolen; 150 million that she claimed from the nanny, or the continuous packages of cash that she received, according to Benedetti said.

In view of such a situation, the President tells us that he is calm: “Don’t worry, what’s up?” He calls marches and from his speech he generates more panic. He takes it against the media that have uncovered the scandals, he describes as a “soft coup” all the decisions made by the judicial authorities that do not suit him, despite being in accordance with the law. He threatens to close the congress, encourages the most radical to fight and announces that he will go as far as the people want him (remembering the words of revolutionary violence).

Everything goes dark. We Colombians feel the sorrow. But there is light and there is hope when the children who had been wandering the jungle for more than a month have been rescued by our Public Force. It is the light of miracles that always give hope. And the future always invites action: let’s do something. For now, let’s collect signatures to stop the disastrous reforms that are still alive and driven by the corruption that the government itself recognizes. Let’s march on the next 20, happy to remind ourselves that we are not alone and that united we are capable of building.