CIAO DATE: 08/2011
July 2011
"Cutting the Link between Crime and Local Politics: Colombia’s 2011 Elections", the latest report from the International Crisis Group, examines the risks of political violence, electoral fraud and infiltration of criminal groups in the October 2011 governorship, mayoral, departmental assembly and municipal council elections. Violence against electoral candidates has intensified, and the elections are first real opportunity for the increasingly powerful new illegal armed groups and paramilitary successors (NIAGs) to distort or interfere with local politics. The national government under President Juan Manuel Santos is more willing and better prepared than in the past to curb the influence of illegal armed groups on the elections, but the challenges remain huge. “The high number of killed prospective candidates bodes ill for the electoral campaign, suggesting that the decade-old trend of decreasing electoral violence could be reversed”, says Christian Voelkel, Crisis Group’s Colombia/Andes Analyst. “There are substantial risks that a variety of additional means, including intimidation and illegal money, will be used to influence outcomes”.
Resource link: Cutting the Link between Crime and Local Politics: Colombia's 2011 Elections [PDF] - 1.6M