: Registrar, although the question has been repeated, with this launch that was made, with that institutional support, continues the ghost that there could be no elections or all that matter is already anticipated and, on the contrary, this shows that the elections will be made without problem?
And for that we are going to work in an articulated way, do everything possible so that every time Colombians have total confidence in the process and integrity of the incoming year elections. That is why we present a series of very important innovations. But here it is very important to highlight the importance of participation.
Colombia is one of the countries where they least participate throughout Latin America, almost half of Colombians do not vote to choose Congress of the Republic and about 45 % of citizens do not do so to choose president. Participation is decisive and here the media can help us a lot.
The full interview with Hernán Penagos, National Civil Status:
: Why is that still sounding, registrar? And I think it is very appropriate for us to insist, because from different sectors what has been heard is that next year’s elections could be at risk. What to tell those people who still think about that, that they could be at risk?
HP: Well, the first thing is that there can be no doubt that elections will be carried out in Colombia because it will be. Secondly, it must be said that in a country like Colombia, where democracy and the state of fact, since the Colombian Constitution must be respected.
And in that sense, as long as there are no constitutional changes, that there are no longer, because it must be said clearly, there is not even time to convene constituent assemblies or any other modifying mechanism of the electoral process, because we have to say that of course these elections will be carried out. This is stated by the Political Constitution. The Colombian rule is strong. Colombian institutions are strong and independent.
Then, on that basis there can be no doubt in that sense, the elections will be carried out and here what corresponds to us is to summon all we represent the high institutions of the Colombian State so that these elections are entire, transparent, so that they conclude successfully and so that all Colombians can participate.
See Hernán Penagos’ response about fraud possibilities in Colombia
: Registrar, in Colombia, a situation similar to that of Venezuela could be lived, that the elections can be steal?
HP: By no means. And it gives me the opportunity to explain a little how the electoral process works in Colombia. Since we are talking about the neighboring country, what happened in Venezuela? I do not say it, the Carter Institute said it and the Inter -American Commission on Human Rights has just reiterated. Well, simply that the electoral records, that is, the minutes that account for the votes of each table were never published by the National Electoral Council of that country of Venezuela.
And the opposition had the opportunity to take photographic images of some, a very important number of these minutes in each of the tables and with the counting of these minutes it can be evidenced that the opposition won the elections in Venezuela. I insist, I say it because the Inter -American Commission on Human Rights said recently. Well, in Colombia that issue is resolved if you want.
First, all the electoral records that are known in Colombia, E14 of Delegates, E14 of Nails and E14 of Transmission. Each and every one of those minutes will be published and digitized for the scrutiny of any person in Colombia and in the world.
Nearly 720,000 minutes in the case of the Congress of the Republic and something like 360,000 minutes in the case of Colombian presidency. What are those acts? The minutes that diligence the voting jurors. And who are the voting jurors? Colombian and Colombians that support us in that electoral process, more than 700,000; They do not work for any public entity, but are citizens who support us.
And they are the ones that diligate the minutes, those who tell the votes and those who proceed to digitize and to climb to the cloud each of those minutes. Now, after the process that comes from the voting jurors, a figure that is known as the scrutiny, the one that is done in each of the 1,104 municipalities of Colombia. Well let me tell him that this scrutiny is carried out by judges and notaries of Colombia. Nor public officials.
And what they do is take those acts that are completed by jurors and consolidated. In more castiza words, add the data that are registered in those minutes. This whole process is a very important process that allows different actors to participate in the electoral moment. What is the main electoral moment? The one of the voting table. When the votes are counted when the minutes are proceeded.
And then a second scrutiny where judges verify that these data are real. Look that they are different people, thousands of people who do that task. Then in Colombia there is no possibility of fraud and there is not because when they speak, for example, of the electoral, because what he does is take those minutes that even had them in his hands and can be seen by any citizen, the media, the political parties, and consolidate them, that is, to add the result of those acts.
In that, Colombians can have absolute peace of mind because all that information will be at the service and the scrutiny of those who want to verify the results.
