Putumayo elections: what role did alias Araña's 'Border Commandos' play?

“ They were forcing them in the villages to vote for that man . They were forced to go to meetings. The JAC presidents were given a minimum participation limit. Jhon Molina was entering places where other candidates could not enter .”

This is how some sources from the department of Putumayo consulted by EL TIEMPO, who asked to remain anonymous, describe the alleged influence of the 'Comandos de la Frontera' , a substructure of the self-proclaimed National Coordinator of the Bolivarian Army under the command of Giovanni Andrés Rojas alias Araña , on the atypical elections for governor of Putumayo.

With more than 42,000 votes in the pre-count, Jhon Gabriel Molina Acosta is virtually the new departmental leader. After his victory, Molina has had to respond to rumors about an alleged boost from the 'Araña' structure to his campaign.

According to the governor-elect, this is a dirty campaign against him. “Not at all. I have always been transparent in my life, but unfortunately in the political field, in order to win, anything goes. I have been the victim of many attacks, attacks with artificial intelligence. I don't know why, at the moment when Jhon Molina has the possibility of winning, legal and political attacks, slander, and libel come out. We are very calm,” he said on Blu Radio.

A report by the Electoral Observation Mission (EOM) indicated that rural communities in the municipalities of Puerto Guzmán, Villagarzón, Valle del Guamuez, San Miguel and Puerto Caicedo were pressured by the 'Border Commands' to go to the polls and support one of the competing candidates.

EL TIEMPO consulted Diego Rubiano, coordinator of the Political Electoral Observatory of Democracy of the MOE, who pointed out that in the information collected by the monitoring committee there were conflicting sources, so it was not possible to establish with total certainty that the favored candidate was Molina. “Without having more information, it is very difficult to make such statements,” he commented.

For the Peace and Reconciliation Foundation, Pares, everything points to the campaign of the governor-elect. “ Unlike other candidates, he can campaign where this group has control ,” Pares said in a report prior to the elections.

I don't know why, when Jhon Molina has the chance to win, legal and political attacks, slander and insults come out. We are very calm.

“Putumayo has many peculiarities and there are many rural areas scattered around. Whether by river, by trail, or by horse trail. These are areas where the Commandos or at one time the Carolina Ramírez front had control. They do not allow anyone to enter without permission ,” they emphasize from Putumayo. Some campaigns against Molina's made this same complaint.

Other voices insist that it is all rumors.

On February 18, there was a peace march organized by peasant movements in Mocoa. This march coincided with the capture of alias Araña in Bogotá , at the end of the third round of negotiations between the Government and the self-proclaimed 'National Coordinator of the Bolivarian Army' – a group made up of the 'Comandos de la Frontera' and the 'Coordinadora Guerrillera del Pacífico'.

Some leaders marched out of conviction; others say that they were forced to do so by 'Los Comandos'. " It was said that anyone who did not go out would have to pay a fine of five million ."

This armed group is basically dedicated to the business of drug trafficking, extortion and illegal mining in the areas where it has a presence. Authorities have records that this group is made up of approximately 500 members .

Intelligence reports indicate that this group has direct influence over the security of crops and laboratories, as well as international contacts to negotiate shipments, mainly with Mexican cartels.

The acting Minister of the Interior, Gustavo García, indicated that Armando Novoa, head of the Government delegation in the dialogues with the self-proclaimed 'National Coordinator of the Bolivarian Army', was present in several electoral monitoring commissions prior to the atypical gubernatorial elections, in which he provided reassurance regarding possible restriction of citizens' votes.

Following Sunday's elections, people who exercise social and community leadership in Putumayo say they feel afraid. " We don't know how things will be now and whether or not we can exercise leadership ," they confess to this newspaper.

Juan Pablo Penagos Ramirez