The president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, has publicly expressed his support for the leftist Peruvian hopeful, Roberto Sánchez, who this Sunday faces the far-right candidate Keiko Fujimori in the second round of the presidential elections in the Andean country.
Hours before the opening of polling stations, Petro disseminated a message on his social networks in which he warned about the political situation in the region and expressed his support for Sánchez: "The plot against freedom and democracy in Latin America is a complete plan to end Latin American freedom. If Latin America forgets Bolívar, the kings will return, but this time with the genocidal swastika (sic). Tupac Amaru must be revived."
The figure of Tupac Amaru is associated with resistance against Spanish colonial rule in the Viceroyalty of Peru and is considered one of the most relevant historical antecedents prior to the independence processes of Latin American countries.
Petro's statement comes after the opening of judicial proceedings against Roberto Sánchez for an alleged crime of document forgery and for the supposed concealment of financial contributions to his party, Juntos Por el Perú, before the National Office of Electoral Processes (ONPE) became known.
The Prosecutor's Office has requested a sentence of five years and four months in prison for Sánchez, attributing to him the presentation of false documentation on the financial situation and cash movements of his party in the reports sent to the ONPE in January and July 2019, where certain external contributions would not have been recorded.
The candidate has rejected the judicial decision, which has been made public "when a candidacy is growing and a wave of hope is sweeping the country." "I do not believe in coincidences," he stated, questioning the timing of the announcement.
Sánchez has also denounced the way in which the resolution was adopted: "Neither my lawyers nor I yet know the grounds for this decision. After 15 hours of hearing, the resolution took only 15 minutes and for this, hearings of other citizens awaiting justice were even rescheduled."