Colombia - Politics

Only in Colombia!? In Barranquilla - home of hip-shaking Shakira - votes are sold for joints? Apparently so, according to El Tiempo. http://www.elheraldo.co/pol-tica/lo-que-faltaba-en-barranquilla-cambian-votos-por-marihuana-35451










This is a relatively big story in Colombia - but not wall to wall coverage, prime ministerial address, naval gazingly so - as it would be in the UK.

I wonder how many public inquiries and resignations this would force if this were Britain, and the press there got hold of the story.

I'm always struck by what does and doesn't constitute a scandal in Colombia. What would send the British press apoplectic is met with a laconic raising of an eyebrow and a 'no pasa nada', 'normal' in this country. Things usually have to be on a far greater scale for them to register - sadly.

The electoral system in Colombia is open to major corruption. I've heard of money swapping hands for votes and for meals bought for poor families in exchange for marking the ballot paper in the 'right' way...but votes in exchange for spliffs...surely not?

President Santos and Interior Minister, Vargas Lleras see the eradication (or reduction at least) of corruption in the political life of Colombia as a central goal for term one of the Santos regime. Legislation is being rushed through to clean up the country. Welcome news indeed. How few and far between will stories like this be by 2014?

Two other interesting issues are raised in this article. Both are important in understanding the politics of Colombia - themes likely to feature regularly on this site.

1. - The role of the local party organisers. The 'leaders' as they're called within the small communities or 'comuna'. These folk are like the foot soldiers, doing the party's work and getting out the vote locally. In England this role would probably be undertaken by  the local councillor, but in Colombia communities are stronger, more integrated...more of a community. As a consequence local leaders play a different and in some ways a more important role. Any politician standing for office must 'hug them close'. It is these leaders that are  accused in this article of handing out spliffs.

2. - The problem of getting the vote out. The level of engagement in the democratic system in Colombia is not the same as it is in Western European countries or America. This is obvious, but the consequences for the political class, and for the society as a whole are less easily forecast.  - look out for their manifestations in future posts.What must politicians do to get people to vote?