Saturday July 2, 2022
  • Venezuela
  • Mexico
  • Colombia
  • Chile
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Podcast
Versión Español
PanAm Post
  • Home
  • Regions
    • South America
    • North America
    • Central America
    • Caribbean
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Opinion
  • Podcast
  • Authors
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Regions
    • South America
    • North America
    • Central America
    • Caribbean
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Opinion
  • Podcast
  • Authors
  • Contact
No Result
View All Result
PanAm Post
No Result
View All Result

Home » Colombia: Hacking Scandal Rocks Presidential Election

Colombia: Hacking Scandal Rocks Presidential Election

María Gabriela Díaz by María Gabriela Díaz
May 8, 2014
in Colombia, Elections, News, Politics, South America
0
0
SHARES
0
VIEWS
FacebookTwitterTelegramWhatsapp

EspañolIn what initially seemed like a smooth election, Colombia’s presidential race has taken a new spin over the last few days. On the heels of President Juan Manuel Santos’s campaign adviser JJ Rendón’s resignation over alleged links to drug traffickers, yet another scandal has surfaced and shaken the other side of the campaign.

On Tuesday, Colombia’s Technical Investigation Team arrested Andrés Fernando Sepúlveda, accused of tracing Santos’s personal email, and spying on the peace negotiations between the Colombian government and the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) that, until now, had been carried out behind closed doors. Sepúlveda worked as a social media manager for Oscar Ivan Zuluaga’s campaign, Santos’s main electoral rival and an open opponent of the FARC peace negotiations.

RelatedArticles

The new socialist supremacisms: a maoist cultural revolution undermines the US

The new socialist supremacisms: a maoist cultural revolution undermines the US

August 21, 2021
GETTR: the powerful weapon of Trump and international right wing

GETTR: the powerful weapon of Trump and international right wing

July 13, 2021
Andres Sepúlveda faces charges of espionage
Andres Sepúlveda was detained last Tuesday and now faces charges of espionage. Source: RCNradio.

According to Attorney General Luis Eduardo Montealegre, Sepúlveda received COL$100 million (approximately US$500,000) as payment for hacking the president’s email and sabotaging Colombia’s peace negotiations that are taking place in La Habana. Aside from hacking Santos’s electronic correspondence, authorities also discovered intercepted emails from the FARC’s head of press in Cuba, two Cuban journalists, FARC chief negotiator Ivan Marquez, and former Senator Piedad Cordoba. While Sepúlveda has pled not guilty on charges of espionage, illegal violation of communications, wrongful use of software, and interception of computer data, the court remanded him to prison while he awaits trial.

Zuluaga, a candidate for the Democratic Center Party founded by former president Alvaro Uribe, immediately distanced himself from the hacker and his team, and condemned their actions.

“Any illegal activity they have carried out … they will have to be judged [for]…. they should be subject to the full force of the law,” stated the aspiring presidential candidate.

After Sepulveda was detained, President Santos requested a full investigation to find the head of the operation: “I think it’s very serious, very serious that anyone or any organization is purposely trying to sabotage the peace process, through illegal wiretapping,” he asserted. “This is why I’m asking the attorney general to please get to the bottom of this matter. We can’t allow these kind of illegal actions under any circumstances, and we will find out who is behind this and why.”

The Plot Thickens

As soon as the scandal became public, the Colombian television network RCN reported that on April 8, Luis Alfonso Hoyos, Zuluaga’s campaign director, visited their headquarters along with Sepúlveda and offered news director Rodrigo Pardo information related to the confidential peace negotiations and Santos’s campaign.

RCN revealed a video caught by security cameras of Zuluaga’s campaign director arriving at the network with the hacker. However, Hoyos’s involvement was further complicated when Pardo said Hoyos hid the hacker’s identity by using an alias, and introduced him as “an intelligence expert” who had previously worked with the government, the military, and international organizations.

According to the RCN news director, the hacker assured him that he had serious accusations to levy against Santos’s campaign.

“He said he would give me very sensitive information related to the way the FARC was threatening those who did not vote for President Santos.”

After several investigations, however, the director decided to drop the article after concluding the hacker’s claims were not sufficiently substantiated.

On Wednesday, following the report by RCN, Hoyos acknowledged that he did bring Sepúlveda to the network to ask the director to evaluate the information the hacker allegedly possessed, but had no knowledge of his illegal activities.

Hoyos then resigned as Zuluaga’s campaign director hours later. During a press conference, Hoyos announced, “I will retire from my post as a spiritual director for this campaign, and work from the streets. We don’t want this [scandal] to be used as cover for the serious allegations of the official [Santos] campaign,” referring to JJ Rendón’s narco scandal.

Zuluaga expressed his sadness with Hoyos’s resignation: “Mr. Hoyos’s resignation hurts me. He is an upright Colombian, and an upstanding man who always acted transparently.”

Sepúlveda is not a novice to working in electoral campaigns. According to his lawyer, the hacker has previously worked with other high-profile politicians and political advisers.

“He’s worked previously not only on a national level, but on an international level as well; in Peña Nieto’s campaign in Mexico, for example, and in Honduras too. He also worked with JJ Rendón and German Chica, President Santos, and former President Uribe.”

Tags: Álvaro Uribeandres sepulvedaFARCjuan manuel santososcar zuluaga
Previous Post

Venezuela: National Assembly President’s Visa Revoked by United States

Next Post

Canadian Writer and Icon Farley Mowat Dead at 92

María Gabriela Díaz

María Gabriela Díaz

María Gabriela Díaz reported from Caracas, Venezuela, and led the PanAm Post internship program. She has a Bachelor of Arts in political science with a focus in international affairs.

Related Posts

The new socialist supremacisms: a maoist cultural revolution undermines the US
Columnists

The new socialist supremacisms: a maoist cultural revolution undermines the US

August 21, 2021
GETTR: the powerful weapon of Trump and international right wing
United States

GETTR: the powerful weapon of Trump and international right wing

July 13, 2021
News

Maduro’s Trial Falls Behind Despite Coordination Between Interim Government and ICC

June 15, 2021
Three Signs That Elon Musk Has the World at His Fingertips
News

15 Republicans Who Voted Against Trump Are Already Facing the Consequences

February 1, 2021
Three Signs That Elon Musk Has the World at His Fingertips
Analysis

Three Signs That Elon Musk Has the World at His Fingertips

February 1, 2021
Three Key Moments to Remind Us That the UN Is a Nest of Oppressive Regimes
Analysis

Antiracist Baby: Netflix Series Loaded with Racially Indoctrinating Children

January 29, 2021
Next Post
Vice President Joe Biden Visits Mexico to Discuss Economic Relationship

Canadian Writer and Icon Farley Mowat Dead at 92

Subscribe free and never miss another breaking story

  • Venezuela
  • Mexico
  • Colombia
  • Chile
  • Brazil
  • Argentina
  • Podcast

© 2020 PanAm Post - Design & Develop by NEW DREAM GLOBAL CORP. - Privacy policy

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • Regions
    • South America
    • North America
    • Central America
    • Caribbean
  • Politics
  • Economics
  • Opinion
  • Podcast
  • Authors
  • Contact

© 2020 PanAm Post - Design & Develop by NEW DREAM GLOBAL CORP. - Privacy policy

We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. Privacy and Cookie Policy.