"A high-pitched voice, recorded somewhere in Guaviare, at the gateway to the Amazon in southern Colombia, echoed across the country on Thursday. I hope our comrade [Ivan] Cepeda wins, because then we'll really put the pressure on them for another four years, says the man, a purported leader of one of the many dissident groups of the now-defunct Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). Cepeda the leftist presidential candidate, leading in the polls has rejected any support from the armed groups that terrorize hundreds of thousands of Colombians every day, but the audio is a reminder of the power these underground forces can wield in an election."
"Seventeen days before the first round of the presidential elections, the armed groups which some still call guerrillas, drug traffickers, or paramilitaries are once again entering the public discourse. They are an invisible force that can decide not only who to vote for, but also who can and cannot campaign in the territories they control. This goes beyond how many votes they influence; it indicates how many votes they can suppress, how much advertising they allow a candidate to run, and which candidates they prohibit, explains Luis Trejos, a professor at the Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla."
"In Colombia's conflict-ridden regions, these criminal groups have killed mayors, council members, and community leaders over the years. And they control the ballot boxes. In smaller communities, the vote is not truly secret: with the data from each polling station, it isn't hard to figure out whether someone disobeyed an order. The preferences of criminal groups are not uniform; they vary by region, by election, by candidate, and by the political moment."
"But in this race, there is an uncomfortable reality for the leftwing contender: many of these groups prefer him. Although Cepeda has spent his entire career denouncing the influence of illegal armed actors in the country's political life especially paramilitaries he is, f"
A high-pitched voice recorded in Guaviare, at the gateway to the Amazon in southern Colombia, circulated nationally ahead of the presidential election. The voice expressed support for Ivan Cepeda and framed the goal as applying pressure for another four years. Cepeda, a leftist presidential candidate leading in polls, rejected support from armed groups that terrorize civilians. The audio illustrates how underground forces can shape electoral outcomes by controlling who can campaign and who can vote freely in territories they control. Criminal groups can suppress votes, limit advertising, and prohibit candidates. In conflict regions, they have killed local officials and community leaders and can control ballot boxes. Voting secrecy can be undermined by polling-station data, enabling enforcement of orders. Preferences vary by region and political context, and many groups reportedly prefer Cepeda despite his long record opposing illegal armed influence.
Read at english.elpais.com
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