Runoff in Colombia: more than 120,000 police officers will guard the election in a climate of tension and threats

A flood of messages and publications on social networks warned these days about possible protests and even a possible social outbreak when the results of the second round of the presidential elections are known this Sunday night.

After a campaign full of accusations and in an unprecedented climate of polarization, Colombia will choose Gustavo Petro’s successor between two options that are at odds and far from the traditional political elite that has managed the reins of this country for decades.

The populist right-wing leader Abelardo de la Espriellaa millionaire lawyer and businessman who presents himself as an “outsider” in politics, was the winner of the first round with 10.3 million votes (43.78%). The senator of the ruling center-left coalition Ivan Cepedawhich appeared as a favorite in the polls before the May 31 election, received 9.7 million votes, 40.98%. And now he hopes to seduce centrist voters, who do not seem convinced with either option.

But, after the accusations that President Petro launched, without evidence, about a alleged fraudand his delay in recognizing the results, many here fear that the most radical left-wing militants will take to the streets if, as the polls predict, De la Espriella prevails.

In a press conference on Thursday, Defense Minister Pedro Sánchez assured that the authorities are aware of some security threats.

“Within the risks that we have reviewed, we have found, in different social networks and some complaints, that the probability of violent riots or acts of vandalism could exist. Not because it is a campaign that is promoting it, but because there would be one or another radical sympathizer who would be motivating more to win with hate than to win with ideas,” he stated.

In turn, the director of the Police, General William Rincón, pointed out 49 points and 13 cities in the country in which the security forces will pay special attention.

At those points, he said, “violent events, demonstrations or other events may occur that affect coexistence and security, but they can also affect the electoral part.”

The Minister of Defense, in any case, asked for caution. “We invite Colombians to remain calm because getting upset will not change the results. After voting, stay calm at home and rest assured that your votes will be protected,” he said.

More than 120,000 police officers will be deployed throughout the countryand more than 20,000 will be in Bogotá.

At the same time, the official strategy is to confront misinformation. According to the Minister of Defense, the police will maintain constant monitoring of the messages that circulate before and after the elections, especially on social networks.

“There is going to be a lot of misinformation. They are going to try to manipulate what is being communicated and the only thing that feeds is collective paranoia and hatred, something that harms democracy,” he warned.

In this murky environment, This Friday, De la Espriella’s campaign reported an armed attack against members of his electoral team. in the municipality of Viotá, Cundinamarca, which occurred on Thursday night. According to the report of the campaign coordinator in Viotá, three electoral witnesses belonging to the municipal committee were attacked with a firearm while they were traveling in a vehicle.

“This fact cannot be treated as an isolated case. According to the campaign coordinator, Abelardo De La Espriella’s team in Viotá has been receiving threats for more than twenty days,” the campaign denounced.

To ensure transparency in the election, the National Electoral Council (CNE) of Colombia installed this Friday the largest international observation mission in the country’s history, with nearly 1,500 delegates who will accompany Sunday’s election.

The mission has representatives from Argentina, Australia, El Salvador, Spain, the United States and New Zealand, among other countries, as well as delegates from organizations such as the Organization of American States (OAS), the European Union (EU), Electoral Transparency and the Carter Institute.