Yidispolitics Scandal

Yidispolitics is the name given to the public scandal developed in Colombia, since April 2008, when the ex-politician Yidis Medina admitted the receiving of bribe from recognized politicians in Colombia to persuade her to vote in favor of the re-election project, which changed the constitution, and later on allowed Mr. Alvaro Uribe Velez to establish his second president period.

The public servers implicated on Yidispolitics have rejected the accusations. Even, the actual president of Colombia Mr. Alvaro Uribe Velez have been syndicated of bribe. Mr. Alvaro Uribe Velez argued these accusations saying: "The national government persuades; but do not push or bribe consciences" .News Reference (spanish)| url=http://web.presidencia.gov.co/sp/2008/abril/19/12192008.html |title=‘El Gobierno persuade; no presiona ni compra conciencias’: Uribe|publisher=Secretaría de Prensa de la Casa de Nariño| date=abril 19 de 2008|accessdate=11 de mayo de 2008]

On June 25 of 2008, after several days of investigation, the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia found Yidis Medina guilty of bribe and condemned her to 47 months of house prison for this crime. Included on the same case, the Court claimed that it will send the information to different Judicial organisms that eventually, would have to punish the public servers involved in this crime. It also asked the Constitutional Court of Colombia to review the constitutional reform that allowed Mr. Alvaro Uribe Velez reach his second consecutive presidential election. This case caused on Mr. Alvaro Uribe Velez a strong reaction against the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia, and he suggested links between the magistrates of the Court and groups of extreme left-wing and right-wing tendency. He also suggested the approbation of a Referendum to legitimate his presidential re-election. The day after Mr. Alvaro Uribe Velez's speech, the public servers involved in this crime sued the magistrates of the Supreme Court of Justice of Colombia.

The Public Servers involved in this case are currently being investigated. Among them it could be found Diego Palacio Betancourt Social Welfare Minister, and Sabas Pretelt De La Vega Colombian ambassador on Italty, whom was the Interior and Justice Minister during the approbation of the re-election project, that eventually changed the constitution. [News Reference (Spanish)| title=Yidis Medina did received bribe, argues the Supreme Court of Justice|url=http://www.eltiempo.com/justicia/2008-05-09/ARTICULO-WEB-NOTA_INTERIOR-4153238.html|date08 de mayo de 2008|accessdate=11 de mayo de 2008|publisher=El Tiempo] (ver:señalados por Medina)

Background

Alvaro Uribe Velez was re-elected as Colombian President for the period of 2006 - 2010, after pushing towards a reform of the Constitution to allow his consecutive re-election. The approbation of the reform was a controversial decision, due to the last minute change of mind of the representatives Yidis Medina and Teodolindo Avendaño; Medina voted in favor of the reform after assuring she was against it, and Avendaño was absent during the approbation.News Reference (Spanish)|url=http://www.caracol.com.co/noticias/545401.asp|title=Libro revelará los sobornos, promesas y presiones para aprobar la primera reelección de Uribe|date=02-07-2008|accessdate=20 de abril de 2008|publisher=Caracol Radio] . There was a lot of speculation about the controversial reform, until April of 2008 when Yidis Medina declared herself guilty of bribe, when she assured to a Colombian magazine El Espectador that the government did not fulfilled the deal, and that she was about to write a book with all the information about the case with the help of Teodolindo Avendaño.News Reference (Spanish)|work=Daniel Coronell|publisher=Revista Semana|url=http://www.semana.com/wf_InfoArticulo.aspx?idArt=111099 |title=O el que paga por pecar|date=04-19-2008|accessdate=20 de abril de 2008] .

References

External links

* [http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-colombia28-2008jun28,0,6940086.story Uribe wants a redo of the '06 presidential vote LA Times]