Vote buying and selling network in Magdalena - Other Cities - Colombia

The candidate for the Senate for the Citizen Force movement, Rafael Alejandro Martínez, filed a complaint with the Attorney General’s Office for a series of electoral crimes, which he knows would be planned to be committed during the March 13 elections in the department of Magdalena .

According to the applicant, he has all the evidence that shows the planning of an alleged electoral fraud, fraudulent voting, favoring voting, conspiracy to commit a crime and corruption of the voter, which according to an investigation and corroborated in the territory, would be ready to be executed in favor of several candidates.

“We base ourselves on an investigation carried out by a journalist in Santa Marta, who determined that a total of 185 people, fully identified in the complaint, would be in charge of carrying out the fraud through the retention of identity cards; others operate with direct advances to the voter, purchase of votes, among other actions”, expressed Martínez.

(See: They handcuff a Senate candidate for a scandal at the Santa Marta airport)

He also asked the authorities to verify the evidence presented in the shortest time possible and deprive those responsible of their liberty.

We have asked Dr. Iván Romero, director of the Prosecutor’s Office, to act, because if this materializes they are guilty, they are accomplices

The complaint details that the mechanics used by this network of buying and selling votes is aimed at altering the results of the E14 formats, to add more votes to the candidates who are part of this network of corruption.

According to Martínez’s version, the municipalities where the vote-buying network operates are Aracataca, Pedraza, Cerro de San Antonio, Zona Bananera, Zapayán, Pijiño del Carmen, Concordia, Ariguaní, Pivijay, Ciénaga, El Retén. , Nueva Granada, Puebloviejo and Santa Bárbara de Pinto, with their rural areas.

“In the elections of House and Senate In 2018, an atypical vote of between 40 and 100% of the vote by polling stations was detected in favor of a single candidate and his party, a behavior that was replicated in all the positions,” Martínez stressed.

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In the last security council, where the electoral problem was addressed, Fuerza Ciudadana exposed the evidence of collusion and political friendship between two municipal registrars in Magdalena, Ciénaga and El Retén, with several candidates for the Senate.

“We have asked the doctor Ivan Romero, Director of the Prosecutor’s Office, to act, because if this materializes, they are guilty, they are accomplices, because institutionally they are the ones who can avoid it,” said candidate Martínez.

In the criminal complaint, the member of the Citizen Force movement details the members of this structure, their modus operandi and for whom they work.

“We hope that the National Registry provide the guarantees for the electoral exercise of the next March 13 and that the Attorney General’s Office prosecute those who break the law and prevent the fraud they have orchestrated,” said the senate candidate.

Martinez also pointed out that in the department there is a direct link between the registrar’s office in the department of Magdalena, the special delegates of the district of Santa Marta and municipal delegates with political agents active in political campaigns.

ROGER URIEL
Special for WEATHER
SANTA MARTA

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Laureano Acuña: profile of the senator in audio for buying votes - Electoral News - Elections 2022

The phrase ‘The past stepped on’ does not seem to apply in the life of the current senator Laureano Augusto Acuna Diazto whom the Supreme Court of Justice opened an investigation for vote buying, in the same process of September 2019 against Aida Merlano.

(Also read: The new strategy so that the Atlantic people do not depend on the ‘paid newspaper’)

Today it is again ‘in the mouth’ of the control bodies, this time of the Attorney General’s Office, by an audio published by the lawyer of the former fugitive congresswoman, Miguel Ángel del Río, in which the ‘Flying Cat’ allegedly He talks about “buying 70,000 votes”.

To learn about the life of Acuña Díaz, you have to go back to March 25, 1971, when this Barranquilla native was born in the humble Santa Maria neighborhoodof the Metropolitan locality.

He is the son of Elvia Díaz and Laureano Acuña, whom he used to accompany in the social and civic activities that he led in the neighborhoods with the purpose of managing support for vulnerable communities.

He became a bachelor and, in that constant contact with the population, he met and made friendship with the Gerleins, when they intervened in the neighborhoods, especially in electoral campaigns. That’s how it started, as a collaborator of the brothers Jorge and Roberto.

In full session of Congress, the
Charista candidate and current Senator
Laureano Acuña, the famous cat
flyer, member of the ethics committee,
talk to the House candidate
Edison Massa and warns: “minimum
we have to buy 70 thousand votes”
The Char Clan mafias. pic.twitter.com/jBqVcgPkhv

– Miguel Angel Del Río Malo (@migueldelrioabg) February 16, 2022

The origin of the nickname ‘Flying cat’

I aspired to be president of that corporation, but on election day they already had another majority and I was left in the minority.

After gaining the trust of this political family, he managed to count on their support to be launched into the Barranquilla Council in 2002, by the Conservative party. What would happen a week after being elected as a councilor for the first time earned him the nickname of the ‘Flying Cat’.

After a few days in this District institution, the man, who because of the color of his eyes was already known as the cat, ‘fled’ or separated himself from the interests of the political group that promoted him.

“We had a majority in the Council and the election of a board of directors was coming, I aspired to be president of that corporation, but on the day of the election they already had another majority and I was in the minority,” Acuña explained in this way. W Radius.

To this is added that, at that time, the song was in full swing ‘The flying cat‘, one of those old school reggaeton that was playing at any time on commercial stations.

His time in the House and Senate

The man repeated for the second consecutive time in the Council of Barranquilla, to later make his debut in the Congress of the republic as Representative to the Chamber for the department of Atlántico (2010-2014). Later, he was seen allied with the Char family.

From there he ended up, from 2015 to the present, in the Senate for two consecutive periods (2014-2018 and 2018-2022). Today he seeks to repeat for the third time in these instances, launching his candidacy for the day of March 13 .

A career with scandals

Making his debut as a senator, Laureano Acuña made headlines for a video in which he appeared, apparently, drunk and refusing to practice a breathalyzer testin Riohacha (La Guajira).

In the recording, he assured that he was not driving and claimed the traffic police for “wanting to incriminate him.” In statements to the media, he indicated that he was going to appeal the fine.

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Likewise, in mid-June of last year he was accused of allegedly threatening the Mayor of Malambo (Atlántico), Rumenigge Monsalve, for the screenshots of some chats in which he allegedly wrote that “I go and take two shots at him.”

After the publication of the audio by the lawyer Del Río, Internet users have remembered this chat.

Photo:

Taken from social networks

Given this situation, the municipal president said he was concerned about his safety and that of his family. While the senator maintained that “this chat is totally false.”

At the end of the same month, there was a shooting attack on the house of Mayor Monsalve. It should be clarified that this fact has not been related to the alleged threats in the chats and is being investigated by the authorities.

Conservative Senator Laureano Acuña at a pandemic party without a mask to cover his nose, but about to put on a big-nosed thong: one for the other… They don’t legislate in person but they dance deliciously when they party in person. pic.twitter.com/0k007jGDYP

– Daniel Samper Ospina (@DanielSamperO) June 19, 2021

For that same month of 2021, he was again the target of criticism in the country for appearing in a video dancing and under the influence of alcohol, along with other people, without the biosecurity measures due to the covid-19 pandemic.

Currently, the senator faces the investigations of the Supreme Court (2019) and the investigation of the Attorney General’s Office (2022) for cases of vote buying. To the latter, he replied: “I will not be a guinea pig in a discussion far removed from any political connection.”

BARRANQUILLA

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Barranquilla: video of threats to young people against buying votes - Barranquilla - Colombia

Some young people who handed out flyers with messages against the vote buying they were threatened and attacked in the north of Barranquilla, as reported in recent hours.

(Also read: The new strategy so that the Atlantic people do not depend on the ‘paid newspaper’)

The group that took the initiative shared brochures in which messages were read rejecting the management of the presidential candidate Álex Char when he was mayor of the capital of Atlántico and, in the same papers, they invite him to “respond for the Merlano case”.

It must be remembered that the former congresswoman, a fugitive from justice, pointed out to the former president and other leaders of the Caribbean coast of having made millionaire contributions to her campaign for the Senate in 2018. was denied by Char.

“Public complaint: we have just been attacked by these four subjects, one of them kicked me, they arrived in a car, they took away the pedagogy from the volunteers, they threatened us that we could not distribute that. These people came directly looking for me,” said the author of the initiative, Reynaldo Torres.

In a video that he shared on his social networks, the youth leader pointed to the alleged group of aggressors who was arguing with two musicians, who, apparently, were also attacked, according to the activist and economist.

“They don’t let us work. They come attacking and there may be a murga (fight), so go look for murga elsewhere”, said one of the musicians during the discussion with the alleged aggressors.

🚨 PUBLIC COMPLAINT We have just been attacked by these 4 subjects, one of them kicked me because they arrived in a car, they took away the pedagogy from the volunteers, they threatened us that we could not distribute that THESE PEOPLE CAME DIRECTLY LOOKING FOR ME @DefensoriaCol pic.twitter.com/qVGMNJG3Wc

– Reynaldo Torres (@Reytorre) February 17, 2022

Concerned about freedom of expression

I contacted the Ombudsman and they are going to send everything to the person in charge of early warnings

In dialogue with EL TIEMPO, Torres regretted what happened and maintained that it was “something premeditated”, when he got out of the vehicle and arrived directly at prevent activity.

“The seriousness of the matter is trying to intimidate and threaten freedom of expression, the development of political exercises as citizens, and sow fear so that people step aside,” said the young man.

It also indicated that it is in the process of filing a formal complaint before the authorities for these events that took place on the corner of Calle 52 and Carrera 54.

“Supposedly they were going to contact me the next day to take my statement, but there was no communication. They told me to do that virtual process. I contacted the Ombudsman and they are going to send everything to the person in charge of early warnings to advise me and make the complaint”, she said.

(You may be interested in: Students from Barranquilla and Atlántico “crack” in their command of English)

Reactions to this complaint

This case was rejected by citizens, opinion leaders and politicians, who sympathized with the young affected.

The councilman of Barranquilla, Andrés Rengifo Lemus, stated: “We call on the authorities to investigate and guarantee that the constitutional right to peaceful protest and freedom of expression is respected in Barranquilla.”

For his part, former Minister Juan Fernando Cristo said: “I reject this aggression. Courage in your just struggles, dear Reynaldo Torres”.

BARRANQUILLA

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Frontier Airlines Buying Spirit in $3B Low-Cost Carrier Deal

Frontier is buying Spirit Airlines in a $2.9 billion cash-and-stock deal that will create the nation’s fifth largest carrier.

The tie-up is valued at $6.6 billion when accounting for the assumption of debt and other liabilities.

The companies said Monday that the transaction will provide more low-cost fares for more travelers to destinations in the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. Frontier Group Holdings Inc. and Spirit Airlines Inc. also anticipate $1 billion in annual consumer savings and are looking to expand their services with more than 350 aircraft on order.

In addition, Frontier and Spirit are looking to add more jobs. The companies foresee adding 10,000 direct jobs and thousands of additional jobs at their business partners by 2026.

“This transaction is centered around creating an aggressive ultra-low fare competitor to serve our guests even better, expand career opportunities for our team members and increase competitive pressure, resulting in more consumer-friendly fares for the flying public,” Spirit CEO Ted Christie said in a prepared statement.

The carriers may be in for a very close look from antimonopoly regulators. The Biden administration has signaled a tougher line against big corporate mergers. Yet airlines have suffered a devastating stretch during the pandemic despite assistance from the U.S. and are in a weakened position heading into 2022.

Existing Frontier shareholders will own approximately 51.5% and existing Spirit stockholders will own approximately 48.5% of the combined airline. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of the year. It still needs approval from Spirit shareholders.

Spirit shareholders will receive 1.9126 shares of Frontier plus $2.13 in cash for each existing Spirit share they own. This implies a value of $25.83 per Spirit share at Frontier’s closing stock price of $12.39 on Friday.

The combined company is expected to have annual revenues of approximately $5.3 billion, based on last year’s results. Its board will include seven members named by Frontier and five members named by Spirit. Frontier Chair William Franke will serve as chairman of the combined company.

Shares of Frontier, based in Denver, slipped 2.2% before the opening bell Monday. Shares of Spirit, based in Miami, jumped 12.5%.