The National Registry of Civil Status formally rejected the registration of Daniel Quintero Calle as a pre-candidate for the consultation on March 8. The decision is based on a technical interpretation of Law 1475 of 2011 and the Political Constitution, pointing out a possible violation of the norms that govern democratic participation.

The legal basis According to the electoral delegate registrar, Jaime Hernando Suárez, the nomination incurs a regulatory irregularity by attempting to have a citizen defeated in a previous consultation participate again under a different group. The electoral body stressed that allowing this registration would be “contrary to the law”, closing – at least administratively – the door for Quintero to compete alongside figures such as Iván Cepeda, Roy Barreras and Camilo Romero within the “Front for Life” coalition.

The future in the hands of the CNE Despite the forcefulness of the resolution, the case is not closed. The Registrar’s Office transferred the file to the National Electoral Council (CNE), the body that has the authority to rule on the validity of the candidacy. Quintero, for his part, described the measure as a “blockade of democracy” and trusts that the electoral court will reverse the decision before February 6, the deadline for formalizing registrations.

Political implications If the rejection continues, Daniel Quintero would be left out of the unity bloc of the left, which would force him to seek an independent path towards the first presidential round in May. This scenario would not only fragment the sector’s vote, but also raises doubts about the viability of other candidates, such as Iván Cepeda, whose participation is also under the scrutiny of experts due to possible inabilities derived from previous processes.