Colombia’s 2014 elections have left 13 of 32 states without a voice in the Senate, bolstering an argument for national electoral reform. Among the 104 senate seats, there are no representatives from the already neglected states of San Andres, Arauca, Amazonas, Caqueta, Choco, Guainia, Guaviare, Putumayo, Quindio, Vaupes, Vichada, Magdalena and La Guajira.
Situations like this have led President Juan Manuel Santos, his running mate Vargas Lleras, and the liberal party to propose changing the current system, which doesn’t guarantee a senator for each state, reported El Tiempo on Tuesday morning.
El Tiempo columnist and economist Guillermo Perry said the current system allows wealthy candidates to represent regions who can’t “buy their own local political leaders.”
The 2014 results leave all of central Colombia, including Orinoco and Amazonia, with only two representatives in the Senate– one from Meta, and the other from Casanare.
Magdalena, in Colombia’s north, is now in its fourth term without a senate representative.
State representation in 2014-2018 Senate
Sources
- Trece departamentos no tendrán senador (El Tiempo)
- Elecciones y reforma política (El Tiempo)
- La Guajira y Magdalena, sin senadores (El Heraldo)
