On Tuesday, June 21, the Colombian Inspector General’s Office lifted the suspension of Medellín mayor Daniel Quintero from his position, but maintained that the investigation against him for his alleged participation in electoral politics in favor of President-elect Gustavo Petro would continue.
“Justice has been done. The Inspector General’s Office has lifted the suspension of our position. We will return to the Mayor’s Office … Let’s build Medellín’s future together,” Quintero tweeted on Tuesday morning. Hours later, he returned to the office surrounded by thousands of supporters, who welcomed him with open arms and a grand celebration.
Es un honor poder seguir sirviendo a Medellín y a su gente. pic.twitter.com/pERflkSGfu
— Daniel Quintero Calle (@QuinteroCalle) June 21, 2022
The Inspector General’s Office had suspended Quintero on May 10 following a video he posted on Twitter that was interpreted as an expression of his endorsement for the candidacy of progressive Gustavo Petro of the left-wing Historic Pact coalition. His suspension provoked widespread political uproar, to the point that both Quintero and Petro described it at the time as a “coup d’état” in defiance of the citizens’ vote. Thousands of Medallín’s residents also took to the streets in defense of their mayor and their vote.
The Inspector General’s Office explained in a statement that the decision had already been made on Sunday, coinciding with the holding of the second round of presidential elections.
In addition to Quintero, the mayors of Ibagué, San Juan Nepomuceno, and Timaná were also suspended from office for allegedly campaigning for Federico Gutiérrez, the candidate of the right-wing Creemos Colombia movement, who fell out of the race in the first round on May 29. Their suspension was lifted on May 31 and they also remain under investigation.
