WORLD WORLDWIDE COLOMBIA News Journal Update - (en) Colombia, ViaLibre: Analysis of the 2023 regional elections (ca, de, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

 

On October 29, 2023, the territorial elections for regional and local
authorities in Colombia were presented. Starting from the analysis of
the virtual pre-count data prepared by the National Registry of Civil
Status, from the Vía Libre Libertarian Group we present the following
analysis of what happened in regions such as Bogotá and Cundinamarca,
Medellín and Antioquia, Cali and Valle, Barranquilla and Atlántico,
Cartagena and Bolívar, Bucaramanga and Santander, as well as other
regions, in addition to some general trends ---- Bogotá and Cundinamarca
---- In the main city of the country, the winner, according to bulletin
38 of the Registry, is the politician Carlos Fernando Galán of New
Liberalism with 49.02%, a center-right bet and an arc of alliances that
includes the vast majority of traditional parties. With a distance, in
second place is Juan Daniel Oviedo with 20.10%, of the personalist
movement Con Toda por Bogotá, which is running as independent from the
center, although linked to the Duque government, and in third place is
the candidacy Gustavo Bolivar of the Historical Pact and the center.
left that reaches 18.71%. Very far from the main contenders is Rodrigo
Lara of the personalist Lara Democrat movement, a dissident of Galán,
with 2.28% and the former Minister of Defense, Diego Molano, of the
far-right National Salvation Movement with 2.14%.

In the national capital, a low participation rate of 51.97% is recorded,
with an abstention of around 48.03% of the population eligible to vote.
At the same time, there is a significant group of blank votes, close to
4.88%, which exceed the fourth candidate in the race, as well as null
votes with 1.55%.

On the other hand, according to bulletin 42 of the registry, in the
governorship of the department of Cundinamarca the victory of the
previous governor Jorge Emilio Rey under the Walking, Listening,
Governing list is clear with 57.29%, led by the traditional right,
followed at a distance with Nancy Patricia Gutiérrez of the Democratic
Center and National Salvation with 10.71%, Yorly Viviana García of the
Historical Pact with 6.68% and Jorge Hernando Lozano with 6.13% of the
Oxygen Green Party.

This was one of the few departments with a majority participation that
reached 62.83% and an abstention of 37.17%, although a large percentage
of blank votes was presented that reached 12.77%, above the second
candidacy and unmarked votes. which reached 6.25% and the null vote 3.01%.

Medellin and Antioquia

In the mayor's office of the second city in the country, according to
bulletin 45 of the registry, the victory by a large majority of the
former mayor Federico Andrés Gutiérrez of the We Believe Team Fico
movement is recorded with 73.40%, supported by the more traditional
right. In a distant second place is Juan Carlos Upegui from the
Independientes movement with 10.12% and with further distance, in third
position, Albert Yordano Corredor from Medellín nos Une with 2.88%,
followed by Maria Paulina Aguinaga from Por Medellín with 1.88% and
Gilberto Tobón of Citizen Force with 1.25%.

In the capital of Antioquia there is a low participation of 53.35% with
a significant abstention of 46.65%, a percentage of blank votes with
7.00% and a certain record of null votes of 1.89% and unmarked votes of
1.35%.

On the other hand, according to bulletin 39 in the governorate of
Antioquia, Andrés Julián Rendón of the Democratic Center supported by
other right-wing forces is positioned for a second round with 37.05%,
followed by Luis Emilio Pérez of the Piensa en Grande list with 23.09. %
and Luis Fernando Suárez of the United for Antioquia alliance with 13.91%.

In the department there is a participation of 52.79 and an abstention of
47.21%, with a very high number of blank votes that reaches 9.92% and
unmarked votes that register 8.57%

Cali and Valley

In the mayor's office of the third most inhabited city, according to
bulletin 45, the victory of Álvaro Alejandro Ever is presented with
40.46% supported by a right-wing coalition made up of the New
Liberalism, Cambio Radical and the Conservative Party, followed by
Roberto Ortiz de Firme for Cali and the Liberal Party with 28.13%,
followed further by Danis Antonio Rentería of the Historical Pact with
11.08%, Miyerlandi Torres Agredo of a Renacer for Cali with 4.41% and
Edilson Huerfano of Fuerza Ciudadana with 2.45%.

In the capital of the Valley there is a majority abstention of 55.29%
with a participation of 44.71%, as well as a blank vote of 10.04%, and a
combination of null votes with 3.01% and unmarked votes with 2.15%,
which add up to close to 5%, above the fourth candidate.

Throughout the department, the election for the governorship, according
to bulletin 45, records the victory of former governor Dilian Francisca
Toro with the broad United for the Valley Coalition with 42.06%, made up
of a large number of traditional parties, followed by Ferney Humberto
Lozano from the Historical Pact with 12.54% and Tulio Alberto Gómez from
the Tulio list with 6.96% and Santiago Castro Gómez from Valle Libre
with 5.80%.

In Valle del Cauca there is a majority abstention of 51.54% and a
participation of 48.46%, as well as an overwhelming blank vote of
27.70%, well above the second candidate, in addition to unmarked votes
with 8.03% and null votes of 3.35%.

Barranquilla and the Atlantic

In the mayor's office of the fourth most populated city, according to
bulletin 45, there is an overwhelming victory for the questioned
Alejandro Char of the Radical Change Party of the traditional right with
73.29%, followed by Antonio Alejandro Bohórquez of the center-left
Democratic Pole with 9.33%. % and, further back, Hasan Fares of the
Ecologist Party with 3.31% and Luis Enrique Guzmán of the Green Oxygen
Party with 1.43%.

In the capital of Atlántico, there is a participation of 52.58% and an
abstention of 47.42%, as well as a large percentage of blank votes that
reach 10.36%, unmarked votes with 9.28% and null votes with 1.63%.

On the other hand, according to bulletin 40, at a general level in the
Atlántico governorate, Eduardo Ignacio Verando de la Rosa of the Liberal
Party is positioned with 48.94%, followed by Alfredo Esteban Varela de
la Rosa for a coalition between the Green Party and En Marcha with
30.67% and then by Claudia Verónica Patiño from Fuerza Ciudadana with 5.61%.

Throughout the department, there was a majority participation of 57.89%,
a significant abstention of 42.11%, a very high level of blank votes
with 11.28% and unmarked votes that exceeded the previous one and
reached 11.67%, surpassing the third candidate. .

Cartagena and Bolívar

In the fifth city with the largest population, according to bulletin 43,
the victory of Dumek José Turbay of Nuevo Liberalismo is recorded with
42.58%, followed by Javier Julio Bejarano of the Historical Pact of
15.29%, Judith del Carmén Pinedo of Valientes for Cartagena with 10.24%
and William García Tirado de los Tres Golpes with 9.57%.

In the capital of Bolívar there is a high abstention of 50.46% and a
participation of 48.54%, as well as an important record of blank votes
with 9.82%, which exceed the fourth candidates, in addition to unmarked
votes 9.60% and null votes with 1.54 %.

On the other hand, in the elections for the governorship of the
department of Bolívar, according to bulletin 38, Yamid Hernández Aranda
of the Bolívar Mejor coalition wins widely with 69.64%, followed by
Zaith Carmelo Adeniche of the National Salvation Movement with 5.22%. %
and Yolanda Wong of the Colombian Democratic Party with 4.92%.

In the departmental election, a majority participation of 53.73% and a
high abstention of 46.27% stand out, as well as a very high percentage
of blank votes with 12.89% and unmarked votes with 15.43%, both well
above the records of the second candidate .

Bucaramanga and Santander

In the capital of Santander, according to bulletin 37, Jaime Andrés
Beltrán of the Defendamos Bucaramanga coalition made up of right-wing
parties such as the U, Salvación Nacional, Justa and Libres is the
winner facing a second round with 34.62%, followed with more distance by
Carlos Felipe Parra from the Valientes list with 14.70%, Edison Fabián
Oviedo from the personalist Movimiento de Acciones Notables with 12.93%,
followed by Horacio José Serpa from Serpa la gente with 8.86% and
Consuelo Ordoñez from In good hands with 8.61%, driven by the League of
Governors against corruption.

In the main city in the east of the country, there is a 53.48%
participation rate and a high abstention of 46.52%, as well as a blank
vote that reaches 6.22%, in addition to an unmarked vote of 1.44% and a
null vote of 1.55. %.

On the other hand, in the elections for the governor of Santander,
according to bulletin 51, the winner is Juvenal Diaz Mateus of Es
Tiempo, a broad coalition of right-wing parties that brings together the
Democratic Center, Cambio Radical, Conservative, Liberal, National
Salvation, We Believe Team Fico and Verde Oxígeno, with 38.97%, followed
by Héctor Guillermo Mantilla of the coalition for the development of
Santander with 19.23%, followed by Luis Ferley Sierra of Dignidad
Santandereana 16.70% and the disqualified Rodolfo Hernández of the
League of Governors against corruption, which despite the rejection of
his candidacy, still registered 12.45%.

These elections recorded a comparatively high turnout of 63.91% and an
equally significant abstention of 36.09%, as well as a blank vote that
reached 7.05%, and a number of unmarked votes that reached 5.44%.

Other territories

At the level of governorates, the center left only manages to exercise
leadership in 4 departments, starting with the Historical Pact itself,
the government coalition, only maintained the leadership of the
department of Nariño, a strong territory of progressivism, while in an
alliance with liberals and Independents, this formation achieves the
governorship of the Amazon. On the other hand, its ally outside the
government coalition, the Fuerza Ciudadana party, maintains its control
of the Magdalena department and, more ambiguously, retains the direction
of Boyacá with the green leadership coalition.

On the other hand, the right of the Democratic Center maintained its
control over 2 departments such as Arauca and Antioquia, as well as the
alliances of various right-wing parties maintain their control over 7
more entities such as Cesar, Meta, San Andrés, Santander, Sucre, Tolima
and Vichada . Also, traditionalism has the governance of Quindío with
Creo Equipo Fico, Vichada and Putumayo with the Partido de la U or
Caquetá with Cambio Radical. For its part, on the center-right spectrum
are the Atlántico and Chocó of the Liberal Party.

General trends

The elections represent a relative shift to the right in regional power
and a relative defeat of Gustavo Petro's government, weakened by a
perception of ineffectiveness and some recent political scandals. In
this scenario, the power of the regional political elites, related to
the conservative right, is consolidated, a phenomenon that goes hand in
hand with a recomposition of the traditional employers' parties,
Uribistas and Neouribistas, after their relative crisis in the 2020
presidential elections and of the political clans that are articulated
with them.

The relative wear and tear of the Petro government, after just one year
in office, is due, on the one hand, to an offensive by the employers'
opposition, poorly contested, which is strong in the judicial and
regional powers, as well as in the large business press. and in control
organizations such as the Prosecutor's Office or the Attorney General's
Office. Likewise, economic factors have an influence, linked to
international phenomena such as the increase in inflation and the price
of gasoline.

On the other hand, there is a notable increase in tensions within the
Historic Pact coalition when it comes to defining their candidacies and
alliances, as well as the problematic relations of the Green Party,
which is increasingly an incoherent coalition of local leaders. and
catch-all, in addition to the disagreements in various regions with the
Fuerza Ciudadana party.

In terms of participation, according to progress 117 of the Registry, in
the mayoral elections there was a majority participation of 59.21% on
average, although a significant abstention of 40.79% remains, while in
the elections for the governorships there is a participation of 60% and
an abstention of 40%. This implies that there continues to be a slow and
uneven decrease in abstention, generally always lower in regional elections.

On the other hand, it is important to note that in various places there
was a great growth in the blank vote, the null vote and the unmarked
vote, which in the mayoral elections reached 4.44%, in addition to 2.27%
in unmarked votes. and 1.74% in null votes, while for the governorates
it shot up to 10.18%, in addition to unmarked votes with 8.48% and null
votes of 2.15%, reaching the blank vote and even the null, the second or
the third place among the political options in various cities and
regions, which is an inorganic expression of discontent with the
political system.

We cannot fail to note that many people who voted for Petro in the
presidential elections feel disappointed today by the lack of social
changes in the country and many of them in the regional elections have
resorted to abstention, blank votes or voting null, the election of new
independent candidates and even traditional options from the right,
experiencing a foreseeable electoral disenchantment.

Our commitment as organized anarchists is to propose to these
disenchanted workers, to return to the best of the experiences of the
strike of November 21, 2019 and the social outbreak of April 28, 2021,
in order to advance in the search for profound social changes. that we
need, by regaining confidence in our own strength and in the
decision-making capacity of the popular organization.

Free Way Libertarian Group

https://grupovialibre.org/2023/11/04/analisis-de-las-elecciones-regionales-de-2023/
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