The Petro Conspiracies

Last year's garbage crisis: A conspiracy?

I don't go much for conspiracy theories. I believe that Lee Harvey Oswald shot Kennedy, (probably on his own initiative), that Juan Roa Sierra shot Jorge Eliecer Gaitan, that the Nazi Holocaust actually happened and that Apollo really did land on the Moon.

But did Bogotá's private garbage collection companies conspire last year to fill the streets with garbage and embarrass Mayor Gustavo Petro when he tried to transfer trash collection from private to public hands? It's just possible.

That theory has become a favorite of Petro's supporters, who are now fighting against Inspector General Alejandro Ordoñez's decision to oust the mayor because of mishandling of the garbage scheme last year.

Inspector General Ordoñez. Should Petro thank him?

This story in today's El Espectador seems to support the conspiracy ideas - altho it's not clear to me where the interviewee got his evidence.

But now, with the Registraduría Nacional's ill-timed ruling that a recall vote on Petro's mayoralty will go ahead, any conspiracy might actually go in Petro's favor.

The past week, Petro and his supporters have been arguing, both here in Colombia and internationally, that the Inspector General's order is anti-democratic. After all, Petro was elected by Bogotá's citizens, whereas Ordoñez was appointed by Congress.

Before Ordoñez's ruling, Petro had been fighting the recall vote tooth and nail, filing myriad tutelas to delay or prevent the vote. After the Registraduría's decision today, Petro said he welcomed the recall vote and would do nothing to delay it.

Undoubtedly, Petro sees a recall vote victory as legitimizing his rule and 'proving' Ordoñez wrong.

Mayor Petro: Benefiting
from the garbage crisis?

And, paradoxically, Petro has Ordoñez to thank for that. After all, before Ordoñez's ruling, Petro's support was at about 40%. After the right-wing Ordoñez decided to oust Petro and ban him from politics for 15 years - a decision which most Bogotanos believe is far out of proportion to the offense - Petro's support jumped above 50%. The decision also made the arrogant Petro look like a victim and rallied his supporters into an active force.

Suddenly, with more public support and a motivated backers, Petro's recall vote chances look much stronger.

But, before he can face that vote (likely to happen in late February), Petro must find a way to delay or suspend Ordoñez's ruling. Today, Petro was in Washington D.C. appealing  for support to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.

If Petro can evade ouster and go on to win a recall election, that would give his administration new energy - all thanks to the private garbage companies and Procurador Ordoñez.

A conspiracy? Perhaps Petro himself planned it all.

(Most bizzarely, even if Petro is ousted, the recall election will still go ahead, forcing Bogotanos to finance an expensive election about a politician who's already out of office.)





By Mike Ceaser, of Bogotá Bike Tours