A few hours before Senator Angélica Lozano denounced a 77.4% reduction in the electoral budget for the pre-election year, Chancellor Hernán Penagos warned of the danger posed by the gap in the autonomy of electoral entities.
During the forum “Interactive Dialogue: Politics and Building a Common Future” at the 79th UN General Assembly in New York, Penago noted that one of the mayors at risk for electoral processes in Latin America is their supposed independence from the authorities in charge. He said that this autonomy has been compromised, mainly by the government's influence in the designation of these bodies, which limits their ability to act as true democratic arbiters.
The Chancellor explained that, after a constructive dialogue with the executive power and parliaments, the decisions of the electoral authorities must be based on the Constitution. “If the autonomy of these entities is strengthened, it will be possible to exercise its functions more independently,” he added.
In a context in which the registrar, Penagos, had mentioned that his influence on the elections was limited and that some contracts could be concluded in 2025, the situation becomes complicated. The Registrar expected a presupposition of 3,200 million pesos for 2025, but only the Government allocated 732,220 million pesos, which represents a reduction of 2,500 million pesos. For its part, the CNE vio susupuesto decreases from 1,060 million to 488,867 million pesos, which is equivalent to a negative variation of 577,995 million pesos.
