Bogotá (EFE).- Supporters of the far-right Colombian presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella demonstrated this Saturday in Bogotá to demand the freedom to wear the national soccer team jersey and to support the government plan called ‘Patria Milagro’, two weeks before the presidential runoff.
De la Espriella, from the Defenders of the Homeland movement and called ‘The Tiger’ by his followers, was the most voted candidate in last Sunday’s first round, with 10.3 million votes (43.78%), and will contest the second round on June 21st against leftist Iván Cepeda, from the Historic Pact, who obtained 9.7 million (40.98%).
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In support of De la Espriella, hundreds of people gathered today on the North Highway of the Colombian capital with the country’s flags and wearing the yellow jersey following the controversy initiated by Cepeda, who questioned the use of that garment for political purposes.
“We are demonstrating for life, for democracy, telling Colombia that here we are, the defenders of the homeland in search of a Miracle Homeland Colombia. Holding a demonstration in our national team jersey, saying that this is our national pride and no one in this country can tell us what we can wear and what we cannot,” a supporter of the candidate assured EFE.
De la Espriella rejects the judicial measure against him
This gathering was called after a Bogota judge ordered De la Espriella and his political movement to refrain from using the Colombian national team jersey in campaign acts and advertising while she reviews a guardianship action filed by a citizen.
De la Espriella rejected the judicial decision through a statement from his campaign and assured that his legal team has already requested the revocation of the provisional measure.
In addition, he promoted a campaign for Colombians to wear the national team jersey until the runoff election on June 21, considering that the garment “does not belong to any political party, leader or campaign” but rather represents “national pride, the unity of Colombians and the hope of a country”.
Street campaign
The far-right supporter’s followers, with Colombian flags, some of which had the image of a tiger representing the candidate stamped in the center, handed out flyers with De la Espriella’s proposals for what he calls the reconstruction of the country after four years of Gustavo Petro’s government, Colombia’s first leftist president.
“Thank God for guiding me in every step of this journey and thank you to those who believed in the Miracle Homeland from day one. This path is just beginning and we are traveling it together, with determination, firmness, and love for Colombia,” wrote De la Espriella this Saturday on his X account.
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The candidate said that a year ago “few imagined that this project would reach where it is today,” but the Colombians who voted for him on May 31 “have shown that when the people decide, there is no political machine, traditional party, or political calculation that can stop them.”
