Vamos coalition leader demands suspension of legislator over substitute's vote

Juan Diego Vásquez, president of the Vamos coalition, has called for the suspension of legislator Paulette Thomas from the party's bloc. The demand follows a vote by Thomas's substitute, Edilberto Guerrero, in favor of Lilia Batista, a deputy from the Realizando Metas (RM) party, for the presidency of the National Assembly's Education, Culture, and Sports Commission.

Vásquez expressed his strong disapproval on social media, urging the head of the Vamos bloc, Jorge González, to convene a meeting to suspend Thomas. He argued that supporting a candidate whose past performance was unsuccessful goes against the coalition's principles and is not in the country's best interest. "This is unacceptable and must be explained. I request that the head of the bloc Jorge González gather the bloc and suspend Deputy Thomas from it. Supporting a nomination that did not yield results in the past is not thinking about the country. I will not sponsor personal agreements," Vásquez wrote.

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This is unacceptable and must be explained. I request that the head of the bloc Jorge González gather the bloc and suspend Deputy Thomas from it. Supporting a nomination that did not yield results in the past is not thinking about the country. I will not sponsor personal agreements.

The election of Batista, who secured five votes, has created a rift within the Vamos coalition. Guerrero's vote was decisive in Batista's victory over Jorge Bloise, who sought re-election, and Jairo Salazar. Vásquez described the potential suspension as "an act of coherence" to reject the incident and allow the coalition time to analyze the situation and decide on future actions. The controversy highlights internal tensions within Vamos regarding Thomas's actions and potential repercussions for the bloc.

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an act of coherence