EU election mission warns Colombia persists in omitting electoral expenses

The chief of the European Union's Electoral Observation Mission (MOE/UE) in Colombia, Esteban González Pons, has highlighted the persistent issue of underreported electoral expenses. He stated that "spending that is not declared" continues to be one of the primary problems within Colombia's electoral system, characterizing it as a structural situation impacting all candidacies.

González Pons explained that campaign activities are frequently financed through in-kind donations, private contributions, and volunteer networks, which are not properly documented on the "Cuentas Claras" transparency platform. This lack of adequate declaration is particularly significant given the increased spending on voter transportation, hiring of poll watchers, local outreach, and digital propaganda observed during the second round of elections.

The mission clarified that this observation is not specific to any single candidacy but represents a widespread phenomenon consistently identified in previous reports on Colombian elections. The problem was noted in legislative elections, the first round of presidential elections, and earlier electoral processes observed by the EU.

Difficulties in monitoring campaign finances have been compounded by the growth of digital campaigns and the intensive use of social media. Despite these concerns, the MOE/UE congratulated Colombia on the overall sound functioning of the elections. The mission will remain in the country until mid-July to observe the vote counting process and will present a final report with recommendations in September.