BOGOTA, Colombia (AP) — Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella on Tuesday urged prosecutors to investigate whether rebel groups coerced citizens in remote municipalities into voting for governing party candidate Sen. Iván Cepeda during the May 31 first-round presidential election.De la Espriella’s campaign issued a statement saying that Cepeda secured more than 70% of the vote across 109 municipalities with active illegal armed groups, reaching as high as 97% in some locations. Cepeda’s camp didn’t immediately respond to the accusations.Cepeda, an ally of President Gustavo Petro and a former member of Colombia’s communist party, has acted as a mediator between Colombia’s government and Marxist rebels. In the first round of the election, he won around 41% of the overall vote, which had 14 candidates on the ballot.
“These results, on their own, do not constitute definitive proof of a crime,” De la Espriella’s campaign said, noting it had filed a complaint with prosecutors. “But they should oblige authorities to investigate if there were threats, pressures or mechanisms to coerce voters and alter their freedom.”
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