In Magdalena and its capital, Santa Marta, potential candidates for mayor and governor of what is one of the most touristy departments in the country are beginning to decide.
A month before the end of 2022, he formalized his aspiration to be the youngest mayor of Santa Marta, Freddy Pinzón, former director of the Somos Movement. It came with two proposals based on tourism, with which it bets on a tourist offer 24 hours a day. The first, “the creation of a high-impact event center that can boost a night tourism route, that is, a route that links El Rodadero with El Morro and El Morro with Taganga,” he said.
And the other has to do with sustainable tourism in Santa Marta, taking advantage of the fact that the city has one of the best strategic ecosystems in the world and its proximity to the Sierra Nevada “can be used as an opportunity to attract more visitors, not being only a city of sun and beach tourism, but also plans for the natural spaces it offers”, he declared.
Pinzón, 26, has work experience in the public sector, specifically in the Rodrigo Bastidas Medium Security Penitentiary and Prison Establishment, as a legal adviser on constitutional and human rights matters.
Another candidate is Carlos Alberto Pinedo, who was president of the Santa Marta Council during the first semester of 2022; he resigned from his seat to be on the mayoral ticket.
During his registration act at the Registry, he said: “I know that there are still many issues in our city that must be solved and they can’t wait any longer. It is for this reason that I made a decision: to be the next mayor of Santa Marta, to work on providing answers to the problems that many samaritans face on a daily basis”.
Pinedo was a Police inspector and later a councilor for the capital of Magdalena for 10 and a half years.
The registration act was attended by social and community leaders, ordinary citizens, athletes, and cultural activists. Likewise, animal supporters, pensioners, women’s movements, youth and the community in general.
In an official statement, the Movement highlighted that “Carlos Pinedo Cuello has responded to the anguished call of thousands of Samarians who do not want to lose hope and have asked this leader to take the banners of this significant movement of citizens, to advance towards the development and show that ‘Santa Marta can do’”.
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Another who wants to administer the capital of Magdalena is the priest Jose Alfredo Ordonez Gutierrez57 years old, from the municipality of Tenerife.
This is the third time that the cleric seeks to be elected at the polls. The first was in 1997, when he aspired to the governorship of the department and got 70,000 votes.
Later, in 1998, he sought a seat in the House of Representatives. And by 2015 he was linked to the campaigns of Humberto Caiafa, for the mayoralty of the District, and that of Jota Vives for the Governor’s office.
“I resigned from the ministerial exercise, I do not have a crisis of being a priest, it is a life decision. I asked for a definitive resignation so that they do not believe that faith is being manipulated ”, he affirmed.
Two women are running for mayor
jennifer del toroactivist, human rights defender and current mayoral candidate, denounced the existence, apparently, of a ‘cartel’ of corruption in the District Mobility Secretariat.
Del Toro’s candidacy has the support of the Historical Pact political coalition, which accompanies President Gustavo Petro and his government program.
Another one that sounds is Patricia Caicedosister of the governor of Magdalena, Carlos Eduardo Caicedo, who has said that “I really want to be mayor of this city, let’s see if I can do it.”
The animal activist and former manager of the Santa Marta Public Services Company (Essmar EES) reiterated her support for the group ‘Los progresistas’.
Governorate
As for the Governor of Magdalena, so far they sound like pre-candidates on former mayor of Ciénaga, Edgardo “el nene” Pérez; Mallath Martínez, former mayor of Fundación; and Franklin Lozano, former representative to the Chamber.
Added to the list are deputy of Magdalena Claudia Aarón and Juan Carlos Dávilawho would be a candidate from the business sector.