Colombian presidential rivals trade criminal accusations ahead of runoff

Colombia's presidential runoff election, just nine days away, is dominated by a fierce war of accusations between leftist candidate Iván Cepeda and far-right contender Abelardo de la Espriella.

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We are currently filing a criminal complaint against lawyer De la Espriella with the Attorney General's Office and the International Criminal Court for allegedly committing and engaging in a series of crimes.

The campaign has escalated with Cepeda announcing he will file criminal charges against De la Espriella for alleged conspiracy to commit crimes, financing terrorism, and illicit enrichment, linking him to paramilitary groups. "We are currently filing a criminal complaint against lawyer De la Espriella with the Attorney General's Office and the International Criminal Court for allegedly committing and engaging in a series of crimes," Cepeda stated Thursday in Bogotá.

Cepeda specifically cited "crimes against humanity committed by paramilitary structures related to the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC)," which demobilized in 2006. In response, De la Espriella's campaign accused Cepeda of "narco-politics" and forming alliances with criminals, citing alleged atypical voting patterns in certain regions. De la Espriella's campaign chief, Mauricio Gómez Amín, dismissed Cepeda's accusations as "desperation."

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It's called desperation, it's called not having clear numbers from Iván Cepeda and his campaign. They don't know what else to do, they don't know what else to invent.

Adding to the campaign's turmoil, De la Espriella faced a temporary judicial order prohibiting him from using national symbols like the flag and emblem, though this was later overturned by the Supreme Court of Justice. Meanwhile, the Alternative Indigenous and Social Movement (MAIS) announced its support for Cepeda's campaign.

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A few days ago, without fanfare, I denounced NARCO POLITICS to the Government of the United States: the alliance of Cepeda with the criminals who gave him atypical votes in Cauca, Chocó and Nariño.