| Country: | Colombia |
| Election Name: | 2007 Colombian regional and municipal elections |
| Previous Election: | 2003 Colombian regional and municipal elections |
| Next Election: | 2011 Colombian regional and municipal elections |
| Type: | Regional and Municipal |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Year: | 2003 |
| Next Year: | 2011 |
| Vote Type: | popular |
| Party Colour: | yes |
The 2007 Colombian regional elections were held in the Republic of Colombia on October 28, 2007. The elections were organized as established by the Colombian Constitution of 1991 by the National Electoral Council (Consejo Nacional Electoral, CNE) to elect Department governors with its respective Department Assemblies, Mayors with their respective City Councils and the Local Administrative Juntas (JAL).
The election preparations and electoral campaigns occurred amid significant debate over the absence of guarantees for voters. Concerns were raised about potential interference from illegal armed groups, such as paramilitary self-defense groups or guerrilla factions, not only in terms of possible sabotage of the elections but also their support for certain candidates. This follows historical instances where politicians were elected with backing from the United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, a phenomenon highlighted in the parapolitics scandal. Additionally, there were apprehensions about the infiltration of drug trafficking money into the campaigns, a recurrence of past issues where drug money sometimes collaborated with illegal armed actions. Electoral fraud was also a concern, commonly manifested through practices such as vote buying and vote shifting.
The Attorney General of the Nation, Edgardo Maya Villazón, expressed reservations about conducting the elections under the existing electoral system, which has remained unchanged since before the 1991 Constitution and is susceptible to such frauds. Despite these issues, the elections proceeded.
The elections have been marked by the assassination of 22 candidates and the kidnapping of at least two. The main armed group targeting the elections is the marxist leninist guerrilla Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), as part of the Colombian armed conflict with the government of Colombia.[1] The President of Colombia Álvaro Uribe Vélez publicly called not to vote for those candidates preferred by the FARC or candidates who were offering to buy people's vote.[2] While in some areas there are reports of untrusting the elections due to the break out of the Parapolitica scandal in 2006 in which it was discovered that members of the demobilized paramilitary group United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) had been colluding with political leaders and members of the public force in order thwart adversaries and advance politically.[3]
On this date, some 27 million Colombians are apt to vote to elect between some 86 thousand candidates to represent 1,098 Colombian municipalities and 32 governors of Colombian Departments. Colombian authorities mobilized 167,559 soldiers and policemen in order to vigil the 9,950 voting sites.[4]
| Departamento | Candidato | Partido | Votos | % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amazonas | Félix Francisco Acosta Soto | Partido Convergencia Ciudadana | 9.426 | 46.81% |
| Olbar Andrade Rincón | Partido Cambio Radical | 6.895 | 34,24% | |
| Eliseo Rosendo Martínez Cruz | Partido Colombia Democrática | 1.076 | 5,34% | |
| Antioquia | Luis Alfredo Ramos Botero | Partido Alas Equipo Colombia | 836.526 | 44.45% |
| Eugenio Prieto Soto | Una Antioquia Nueva | 579.020 | 30,77% | |
| Rodrigo de Jesus Saldarriaga Sanin | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 58,992 | 3,13% | |
| Arauca | Freddy Forero Requiniva | Partido Cambio Radical | 27.889 | 38.94% |
| Adalberto Enrique Jaimes Ochoa | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 15,522 | 21,67% | |
| Albeiro Vanegas Osorio | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 12.723 | 17,77% | |
| Atlántico | Eduardo Ignacio Verano De la Rosa | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 344.112 | 46.41% |
| José Antonio Name Terán | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 213.270 | 28,76% | |
| Bolívar | Joaco Hernando Berrío Villarreal | Partido Cambio Radical | 206.962 | 32.76% |
| Alfonso López Cossio | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 177.703 | 28,13% | |
| Dionisio Miranda Tejedor | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 47.335 | 7.49% | |
| Boyacá | José Rozo Millán | Verde Opción Centro | 195.537 | 35.28% |
| Pedro Alonso Sanabria Buitrago | Partido Conservador Colombiano | 191.041 | 34,46% | |
| Rafael Romero Piñeros | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 56.787 | 10.24% | |
| Caldas | Mario Aristizábal Muñoz | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 157.714 | 38.76% |
| Francisco José Cruz Prada | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 145.100 | 35,66% | |
| Ricardo Alberto Castaño Zapata | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 14.839 | 3,65% | |
| Caquetá | Luis Francisco Cuéllar Carvajal | Alianza Social Indígena | 35.780 | 32,72% |
| Álvaro Pacheco Álvarez | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 27.104 | 24,79% | |
| Nelcy Almario Rojas | Movimiento Nacional Afrocolombiano | 18.622 | 17.03% | |
| Casanare | Óscar Raúl Iván Flórez Chávez | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 78.774 | 59,78% |
| Efrén Antonio Hernández Díaz | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 40.776 | 30,94% | |
| Yimmy Novoa Ángel | Partido Alas Equipo Colombia | 2.253 | 1.71% | |
| Cauca | Guillermo Alberto González Mosquera | Movimiento Nacional Afrocolombiano | 134,866 | 32.58% |
| Eduardo José González Angulo | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 87,950 | 21.24% | |
| Juan Diego Castrillón Orrego | Movimiento Alianza Social Indígena | 39,832 | 9.62% | |
| Cesar | Cristian Hernando Moreno Panezo | Verde Opción Centro | 141,211 | 43.38% |
| Arturo Rafael Calderon Rivadeneira | Movimiento Independiente Libres | 94,277 | 28.96% | |
| Jaime Camilo Murgas Arzuaga | Partido Conservador Colombiano | 47,847 | 14.70% | |
| Chocó | Patrocinio Sánchez Montes de Oca | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 45,338 | 38.68% |
| Carlos Alberto Escobar Córdoba | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 36,431 | 31.08% | |
| Yesid Francisco Perea Mosquera | Partido Conservador Colombiano | 2,639 | 2.25% | |
| Córdoba | Marta del Socorro Sáenz Correa | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 234,639 | 39.16% |
| Margarita Rosa Andrade García | Partido Colombia Democrática | 203,339 | 33.93% | |
| Álvaro Emiro Petro Sierra | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 12,125 | 2.02% | |
| Cundinamarca | Andrés González Díaz | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 457,023 | 51.38% |
| Álvaro Cruz Vargas | Partido Cambio Radical | 217,582 | 24.46% | |
| Tarsicio Mora Godoy | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 32,383 | 3.64% | |
| Guainía | Iván Vargas Silva | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 3,057 | 28.99% |
| Jose Walter Lenis Porras | Partido Alas Equipo Colombia | 2,542 | 24.11% | |
| Jorge villegas Caro | Alianza Social Indígena | 1,501 | 14.24% | |
| Gustavo González | Partido Conservador Colombiano | 1,424 | 13.51% | |
| Luis Eduardo Manotas Solano | Partido Cambio Radical | 1,011 | 9.59% | |
| Guaviare | Oscar de Jesús López Cadavid | Partido Conservador Colombiano | 9,418 | 37.65% |
| Dagoberto Suárez Melo | Movimiento Convergencia Ciudadana | 8,717 | 34.94% | |
| Luis Fernando Angarita González | Movimiento Colombia Viva | 4,350 | 17.39% | |
| Huila | Luis Jorge Pajarito Sánchez García | Partido Conservador Colombiano | 187,792 | 49.04% |
| Carlos Mauricio Iriarte Barrios | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 128,859 | 33.65% | |
| José Jairo González Arias | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 9,265 | 2.42% | |
| La Guajira | Jorge Eduardo Pérez Bernier | Movimiento El Pueblo Decide | 89,064 | 44.36% |
| Miguel Antonio Murgas Núñez | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 83,869 | 41.77% | |
| Jaime Enrique De Luquez Díaz | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 6,857 | 3.42% | |
| Magdalena | Omar Ricardo Díaz Granados Velásquez | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 143,593 | 36.35% |
| José Luis Pinedo Campo | Partido Cambio Radical | 122,237 | 30.94% | |
| Vilbrun Edward Tovar Peña | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 14,004 | 3.55% | |
| Álvaro Antonio Ordóñez Vives | Apertura Liberal | Movimiento Apertura Liberal | 8,093 | 2.05% |
| Meta | Darío Vásquez Sánchez | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 121,300 | 43.71% |
| Maritza Martínez Aristizábal | Movimiento Volvamos a Avanzar | 112,597 | 40.58% | |
| Eudoro Álvarez Cohecha | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 9,437 | 3.40% | |
| Nariño | Antonio José Navarro Wolff | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 262,917 | 49.39% |
| Vicente Germán Chamorro de La Rosa | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 172,190 | 32.34% | |
| Norte de Santander | William Villamizar Laguado | Partido Conservador Colombiano | 300,451 | 63.83% |
| Luz Adriana Quiroga Wilches | Movimiento Apertura Liberal | 33,784 | 7.18% | |
| Putumayo | Felipe Alfonso Guzmán Mendoza | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 43,322 | 47.99% |
| Jimmy Harold Díaz Burbano | Partido Conservador Colombiano | 27,684 | 30.67% | |
| Miguel Ángel Rubio Bravo | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 9,700 | 10.75% | |
| Quindío | Julio Cesar López Espinosa | Por un Quindío Para Todos | 93,632 | 41.01% |
| Gildardo Ceballos Zuluaga | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 82,861 | 36.29% | |
| Henry González Mesa | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 8,481 | 3.71% | |
| Risaralda | Víctor Manuel Tamayo Vargas | Partido Conservador Colombiano | 151,700 | 42.91% |
| Germán Chica Giraldo | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 120,991 | 34.23% | |
| Gonzalo Arango Jiménez | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 11,303 | 3.20% | |
| San Andrés | Pedro Clavel Gallardo Forbes | Movimiento Integración Regional | 8,187 | 37.23% |
| Aury Socorro Guerrero Bowie | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 8,160 | 37.11% | |
| Jack Housni Jaller | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 4,063 | 18.48% | |
| Santander | Horacio Serpa Uribe | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 482,745 | 55.93% |
| Didier Alberto Tavera Amado | Partido Convergencia Ciudadana | 293,972 | 34.06% | |
| Juan José Landinez Landinez | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 4,838 | 0.56% | |
| Sucre | Jorge Carlos Barraza Farak | Partido de Unidad Nacional | 114,976 | 32.53% |
| Julio César Guerra Tulena | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 114,087 | 32.28% | |
| Lucy del Carmen Urzola Capella | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 26,246 | 7.43% | |
| Tolima | Óscar Barreto Quiroga | Partido Conservador Colombiano | 178,679 | 35.25% |
| Luis Carlos Delgado Peñón | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 142,362 | 28.08% | |
| Huillman Calderón Azuero | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 18,543 | 3.66% | |
| Valle del Cauca | Juan Carlos Abadía Campo | Movimiento Por Un Valle Seguro | 660,174 | 47.98% |
| Francisco Javier Murgueitio Restrepo | Partido Conservador Colombiano | 117,498 | 8.54% | |
| Alejandro De Lima Bohmer | Partido Alas Equipo Colombia | 107,484 | 7.81% | |
| Fabiola Perdomo Estrada | Alianza Social Indígena | 79,025 | 5.74% | |
| Orlando Riascos Ocampo | Polo Democrático Alternativo | 63,155 | 4.59% | |
| María del Socorro Bustamante Ibarra | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 45,428 | 3.30% | |
| Vaupés | Leonidas Soto Muñoz | Cambio Radical | 35.57% | |
| Carlos Ivan Melendez | Movimiento Colombia Viva | 31.35% | ||
| Iván Darío Sandoval Perilla | Alianza Social Indígena | 25.26% | ||
| Vichada | Blas Arvelio Ortiz Rebolledo | Partido de la Unión por la Gente | 33.36% | |
| Juan Carlos Ávila | Partido Liberal Colombiano | 33.31% | ||
| Hugo Janio López Chaqueo | Alas Equipo Colombia | 24.37% | ||
The Colombian newspaper El Tiempo reported that the National Registrar of the Civil State (Registraduria Nacional del Estado Civil) announced several changes in some voting sites in the Colombian Caribbean region: In Cartagena and Magangué in Bolívar Department, Gonzalez in Cesar Department, Barranquilla and Malambo in Atlántico Department and Santa Marta and El Retén in Magdalena Department after there were reports of irregularities.[5] [6]
The local newspaper El Nuevo Día from Ibagué, Tolima Department reported that opposition groups to Major Bolívar Guzmán blocked access to the town of Valle de San Juan also in Tolima Department, alleging that there had been a manipulation of the election process. The blockage prevented functionaries of the National Registrar from establishing elements needed for voting. Members of the Colombian National Police and the Colombian Army were called to reestablish control in the town.
There were also reports of fraudulent techniques used to obtain more votes, the most common was the Trasteo electoral in which for example a municipality gets more votes than its official population able to vote, as it occurred in the municipality of Piojó, in Atlántico Department where there were 6,088 people subscribed as apt to vote, but its actual population apt to vote over 18 years old is 2,988.[7]
Caracol Radio reported that there had been 49 people captured for committing electoral fraud crimes and there had been 26 denunciations reported to the Inspector General of Colombia Edgardo Maya among these the possession of numerous IDs used to illegally vote more than once and the exchange of votes for money or groceries for votes. Inspector General Maya-Villazon also discarded any possibility that elected candidates sanctioned with disciplinary sanctions, penal crimes, impeachment or any other fault on this elections will not be able to take office. He also mentioned that in case any of these candidates took office will be suspended from office.[8]
A month before the elections there were already some 70 homicides related to the Colombian regional elections of 2007, including government officials, perpetrated by guerrillas, former and new paramilitary groups or common delinquency. This tendency of using violence to coerce the population escalated when the paramilitary groups influenced the previous 2003 regional, presidential and legislative elections.[9]
Onservers part of the mission sent by the Organization of American States (OAS) formally accused the FARC of being the main cause of the disruptions to the electoral process. Not only from violence but from coercion, but also mentioned that the elections were not in danger but for some people in certain areas.[10] Like during the electoral day the FARC used explosives to destroy electrical towers in the southern Colombian Department of Nariño. This action left without electricity an area covered by some 5 municipalities. The Ombudsman of Colombia accused the emerging paramilitary gangs of also thwarting the election process in some areas. Some of this groups included Aguilas Negras, Los Traquetos, Los Mellizos, 'Los de Barranquilla, Los Paisas, Los 40, Macacos, Cuchillos and la Organización Nueva Generación.
On October 29, 2007, a day after the election, protesters of the losing candidate for mayor in the municipality of Ciénaga de Oro, Córdoba Department rioted and burned down the City hall and the local office of the National Registrar of the Civil State, alleging that there had been fraud. The winning candidate Plinio Di Paola won with a difference of 15 vote over the losing candidate. Also in Córdoba Department, in the town of Ayapel the office of the National Registrar was stoned. A state of emergency was sanctioned in several other populations of the Córdoba Department.[11]