International Audit Demanded to Ensure Electoral Transparency in Colombia

Colombia Faces Calls for International Audit to Ensure Transparency in Upcoming Elections

The National Electoral Council (CNE) of Colombia is demanding an international audit of the country’s electoral software, following irregularities and technical failures reported during the congressional elections of March 13. The problems included issues with vote counts and a crash of the registrar’s website, which was offline for more than two hours on election day.

Magistrate Luis Guillermo Pérez, who has spearheaded the request, emphasized that the audit is essential to explain to the electorate what went wrong and to restore confidence ahead of the presidential elections in May. He argued that political parties and voters were left with serious doubts after the last elections and that “it is not right for the registrar’s office to audit itself.”

The proposed international audit would cover the registrar’s computer systems, security, and processes across multiple components, including vote counting at municipal, district, departmental, and national levels, as well as citizen registration platforms. Pérez also stressed the need to hold accountable the companies involved in the electoral process, warning that if they failed to meet their contractual obligations, they must face sanctions.

However, the registrar’s office has responded that it lacks the financial resources to hire an international audit. The CNE must therefore submit a formal request to the Ministry of Finance, seeking an addition to its budget. Ultimately, it will be up to the national government to decide whether to allocate the necessary funds.

The Ministry of Finance is expected to evaluate the request and determine if a budgetary allocation can be approved to guarantee transparency in the upcoming elections. Without this support, concerns remain about whether Colombia will be able to ensure a credible and trustworthy electoral process.

Video Source: Noticias UNO