The High Court of Bogotá has issued this Tuesday a provisional measure against the far-right candidate Abelardo de la Espriella, who will face the officialist candidate Iván Cepeda in a runoff on June 21, ordering him to remove all propaganda that includes national symbols from his electoral campaign, as well as to stop using expressions such as "firmes por la patria" or "defensores de la patria".
The resolution, signed by magistrate Rafael Albeiro Chavarro, of the second labor decision chamber of the Bogotá high court, establishes a period of 24 hours for De la Espriella, his running mate, José Manuel Restrepo, the significant group of citizens "Defensores de la patria" and any other person or entity linked to the campaign to "remove all political propaganda" that uses national symbols.
The order refers specifically to all material disseminated on the candidate's website, in the media and on his social networks, where the flag and coat of arms of Colombia, images associated with the Military Forces and the Police, greetings and insignia of military institutions, as well as the use of the phrases "firmes por la patria" or "defensores de la patria", which are part of the central slogan of his political project, are used.
After the judicial decision became known, De la Espriella disseminated a message addressed to the Colombian citizenry in which, through his social networks, he encourages sharing national symbols and the national anthem so that "every cell phone, every WhatsApp status, every video and every Colombian t-shirt becomes a message of freedom".
"Share our symbols, our anthem and our message. May no one silence the voice of millions of Colombians who want a different Homeland," the candidate stated, asking his followers for "help" so that his "movement" continues "growing in every corner of the country," while he fights "the legal battle."
This new setback in the courts for the aspirant to reach the Casa de Nariño is added to the recent decision of the Colombian Justice that vetoed him, just a few days ago, from campaigning in this presidential runoff by wearing the jersey of the Colombian national soccer team.
Despite that prohibition, De la Espriella stated then that he would continue "wearing the Colombian jersey with joy, respect, and patriotism", arguing that "no one can prohibit a Colombian from wearing the colors of their national team or from expressing, freely and peacefully, the love they feel for their country".