Colombia in the Eye of “El Tigre”

The Pacto had invited me to Colombia to monitor the elections as part of the Unified International Observation Mission. Hopes were high that the Cepeda–Quilcué ticket would take the election in the first round, passing the 50 percent threshold.

On May 29, there was a cocktail party for the foreign observers’ team in the basement of a swanky hotel. I got there late. My taxi had inched through the choked streets of Bogotá, as the sun went down on an imperfect, trash-strewn city. Arriving, I found myself with a who’s who of international progressives: a leader of the Spanish Podemos; members of both the UK House of Lords and the House of Commons; representatives from Sinn Féin, the European Parliament, and the Communist Party of Portugal; and leftists from most of Latin America and the Caribbean, including Argentina, Uruguay, Chile, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, and Brazil. Everyone knew: this election in Colombia was about more than one country’s political future. Trump’s knife was out, carving up Latin America, treating the region once again as his to run or ruin. He despised Petro and was determined: Colombia would be his.

On May 31, late afternoon, the end of Election Day, the Pacto people crowded into another hotel room, a giant one. They were agitated, excited. There were no numbers yet, but it was reported that more Colombians than ever had voted. I had been pulled by one of the Pacto’s enthusiastic young volunteers through an unbelievable crowd, squeezed in between guards and a door, slapped with a thin, qualifying security bracelet, and then released into the cavernous room with all of the faithful — to wait.

The national television station RTVC was on live. Every few minutes a low, somber gong would sound. The analysts would pause, and the announcer declared the numbers of the latest poll counts. At once, it was clear: Cepeda would not claim the presidency in the first round. De la Espriella was out in front and never slipped behind, even as he never inched above 50 percent. The mood in the hotel room stayed loud, but more serious, determined not to leave without an all-out struggle.

Our group of observers declared that there had been little or no violence at polling stations (a great improvement). There were six hundred or so minor incidents of intimidation — vote buying, electricity cutting, and snarling the vote. There were irregularities — improper wearing of party colors by poll attendees — but no major visible fraud.

With almost all the votes counted, Cepeda and Quilcué appeared before the raucous crowd. Passions were high. Cepeda spoke: “It’s time to close ranks. We have three weeks left to fight for Colombia.” Aida spoke: “This is a fight for Mother Earth. For all life.” The crowd cheered wildly, then filed out, energized, ready.

The next morning, the international observation team met with Pacto officials for a post–first round autopsy. On election night, Petro (and then Cepeda) had claimed there had been a massive fraud. At this meeting, that was laid aside. What clearly happened, however, was major manipulation and undue influence from forces outside of Colombia.

We were witnessing the unfolding of a carefully crafted plan with deep roots in the Trump administration. Newly minted US senator from Ohio Bernie Moreno, born in Colombia, with deep ties to the conservative, monied class, was on the ground, orchestrating the public side of Trump posturing.