In the Valley they promote campaigns to vote and without fraud - Cali - Colombia

Two weeks before the elections for the Senate and House of Representatives throughout the country, not only the candidates in the regions, especially in Valle del Cauca, seek to captivate the largest number of voters for Sunday, March 13, which will lead them to seats.

Non-governmental organizations, such as the Vallecaucana Action Unit (UAV) and the Electoral Observation Mission (MOE), as well as official bodies, including the National Electoral Council (CNE) and the National Registry, have been promoting initiatives for the population to attend to the polls and exercise their right to vote, but to choose in a free, transparent and democratic manner.

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They are campaigns that invite participation, like the one of the UAV with the name ‘Your vote has power’ to elect Congress.

“This time the slogan is ‘Valle Vota Valle’, with which the vote for leaders of the territory is promoted, which increases the representation of the region and leverages resources and promotes projects for the development of the department”, said Daniel López, executive director of the UAV.

But the risks of electoral fraud and the fear among some candidates who have made it visible on their social networks are latent.

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“Voting: an action as simple as it is fundamental to guarantee the well-being of our democracy”, said Alejandro Sánchez, regional coordinator of the MOE.

“But how can we freely vote and elect those who represent us when daily in our country we face the presence of illegal armed groups, violence against leaders, clientelism and other situations that restrict the exercise of our right?” .

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According to the EOM, The Valley has four municipalities at risk of fraud in Senate elections and two more by those seeking the Chamber. There are 14 municipalities with risks due to violence.

The municipality of Valle with factors indicative of electoral fraud and factors of violence is Buga.

For the regional coordinator of the EOM, it is necessary that institutional efforts be concentrated there, in such a way that possible irregularities in these elections can be detected.

However, no fraud is reported in Cali nor in Buenaventura, but there are risks of violence. Cairo has a medium risk in elections for the House due to fraud, while Versailles, for the Senate.

Candidates like Yitcy Becerra, from Centro Esperanza, who goes after the Chamber, asks to avoid buying votes. “Electoral fraud is a threat to democracy.”

Míldred Arias is also seeking a seat in the Chamber and said that with more education there is less corruption.

The municipalities with risks due to violence, with a high and extreme risk index, are Cali, Bolívar and Buenaventura.

In this list of high risks, according to the EOM, there are also Buga, Florida, Jamundí and Tuluá.

Andalusia, Bugalagrande, Candelaria, Dagua, El Dovio, Seville and Yumbo with medium risks due to violence in elections.

Beware of electoral crimes

In the National Electoral Council (CNE) they point out that the constraint to the voter is a criminal offense.

Voter fraud, fraudulent voting and vote trafficking are also criminal offenses.

In the CNE and in the Registry they promote the campaign to denounce these facts.

CALI

In Barranquilla the electoral campaigns do not take off - Electoral News - Elections 2022

Little or nothing is what is felt in the electoral environment in Barranquilla and peoples of the Atlantic, as if little or nothing interested the results of the elections to the Congress of the republic next March 13.

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“The candidates are conspicuous by their absence,” he says. political analyst Carlos Herrera. This panorama is reflected in the streets of the city, where the poles on this occasion have not been smeared with posters, there are no walls painted with the names and numbers of the candidates, young people are not seen handing out flyers in the streets, nor political advertising playing on the stations.

“It is a strange election campaign. With absent candidates in the neighborhoods, the river of money has not flowed as in previous elections”, adds Herrera.

The voters’ attention seems to be focused on the results of the consultations, and above all on the presidential elections, more than on the regional elections.

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The situation is viewed by political scientist Jessyka Manotas as a phenomenon that is not typical of Barranquilla or the Atlantic but of the entire country, due to the amount of candidatesthe various issues that are being discussed on the national agenda and the proliferation of more visibility spaces for the pre-candidates for the presidency (debates, interviews, etc.) “contrary to the scarce citizen deliberation at the regional level about the candidates for congress,” he says.

The murals with messages alluding to the electoral campaign adorn some streets of the metropolitan area of ​​Barranquilla.

The representative to the camera across the atlantic, Modesto Aguilera (Radical Change) confirms the above: “the political environment of the presidential elections is extremely controversial and all eyes are looking towards that path.”

Aguilera, who hopes to remain in the Chamber, maintains that his campaign remains focused on the regional election without also neglecting the issue of the consultation, “because for us it is extremely important not only our election but also to choose Alexander Charlie as coalition candidate Team For Colombia”.

Political advertising has not invaded the streets of Barranquilla.

Photo:

Vanexa Romero / TIME

For Sandra Leventhal (New Liberalism)who comes to fight for a seat in the Chamber for Atlántico, acknowledges that the electoral environment is very quiet, which is worrying since the elections for Congress do not seem to gain momentum.

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“Is it a collective lack of interest, a lack of knowledge of the subject or is there another type of reason?” asks Laventhal, who assures that his movement works hard and remains committed to this electoral exercise and the party building.

Campaigns continue with political ‘moorings’

In general terms, the electoral environment in the department is similar to previous years, says political scientist Jessyka Manotas, emphasizing that everything is predictable in terms of clientelism, purchase and sale of votes and lists of political parties made up of relatives and people close to current congressmen, deputies and councilors. Likewise, several are campaigning senators and representatives to the House who are seeking re-election.

Political billboards have been installed on some avenues in Barranquilla.

Photo:

Vanexa Romero / TIME

For senators and representatives who aspire to be re-elected, it is more important to win the support of councilors, deputies and leaders

However, Manotas points out that there are some new elements. The first to stand out is the lists of alternative coalitions that seem to have more possibilities due to the fact that they are a non-preferential vote (closed lists) and the socio-political context of the country that comes from large mobilizations and youth activism.

On the other hand, adds the political analyst, the recent media scandals, related to the testimony of Aida Merlano and leaks from Laureano Acuna on alleged vote buying, “can negatively influence the perception of voters about traditional parties.”

Political journalist Jean Pier Serna He explains that this debate focuses a lot on what he calls political ‘ties’ and agreements with leaders who manage solid electoral structures.

“For senators and representatives who aspire to be reelected, it is more important to win the support of councillors, deputies and leaderswith which they can ensure a good flow, than to go out and look for an opinion vote, a band that is still very gaseous in terms of elections to Congress in this area of ​​the country”, Serna points out.

BARRANQUILLA

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Barranquilla: campaigns against dengue caused by the Aedes aegypti mosquito - Barranquilla - Colombia

Dengue continues to affect the neighborhoods of Barranquilla. Due to the above, the District authorities continue to create strategies to combat the disease, with educational actions and house-to-house visits.

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According to the Ministry of Health, daily, in different sectors, home inspections, inspections of water tanks in search of mosquito breeding sites, waste collection days and fumigations are carried out in different sectors.

The latest reports from the National Institute of Health (INS) reported 598 cases, of which 11 correspond to severe dengue. The southwestern town reports the highest number of cases with 32.17 percent.

‘Aguale la fiesta’, ‘My house is clean without dengue’ and ‘Don’t get caught out of place’ are campaigns promoted by the authorities, in coordination with other dependencies and entities.

The recommendations of the authorities

With them, they are providing the necessary tools so that families in their homes understand the importance of dealing with dengue.

Similarly, neighbors attend training eventscommunity mobilizations and other actions in which prevention measures are highlighted.

In this sense, the District Health Secretariat recommends checking the houses daily, collecting the unusable ones that can store water and, in case of any symptoms, consult the doctor or go to the nearest health institution.

Strategies focus on those most reported neighborhoods of cases, including Ciudadela 20 de Julio, Rebolo, La Luz, El Bosque, Carrizal, Simón Bolívar, El Santuario, El Ferry, Las Nieves, La Manga and El Recreo.

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a balance sheet

According to this dependency of the Mayor’s Office, during the course of 2022 there have been no deaths in the city due to dengue.

Thus, 5,918 homes have been inspected, 95 houses identified as breeding sites for the Aedes aegypti mosquito, 20,976 water tanks have been located, and 204 indoor fumigations have been carried out, according to official figures.

BARRANQUILLA

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