ATENCIÓN Prohíben a Abelardo de la Espriella usar su eslogan "Firmes por la patria"

The Superior Court of Bogotá issued a ruling that has shaken the Colombian presidential campaign less than two weeks before the second round of voting. The judge provisionally ordered presidential candidate Abelardo de la Espriella to refrain from using the slogan "Firm for the Homeland" and to remove all political propaganda that includes patriotic symbols within 24 hours. The court order specifies that the candidate, his vice-presidential running mate José Manuel Restrepo Abondano, and the citizens' group "Defenders of the Homeland" must remove any political propaganda containing the Colombian flag, the national coat of arms, and other figures representing the nation. It also prohibits images alluding to military and police institutions, salutes and emblems of military entities, as well as the use of the expressions "Firm for the Homeland" and "Defenders of the Homeland." Rodrigo Lara, lawyer and campaign strategist for De la Espriella, called the decision "absurd" and announced that they will file legal appeals. "We will file legal appeals against this arbitrary, unprecedented, incomprehensible, and unheard-of decision by this court, and we are certain that it will protect the rights and freedoms of both Abelardo de la Espriella and his campaign," Lara stated on the program La Noche de NTN24.