Colombia: “Let’s Revoke Congress” · Global Voices
Cati Restrepo

On February 13, 2013, Colombian netizens promoted the hashtag #revoquemoselCongreso [es] [Let's Revoke Congress] to expose the reasons why the country's members of Congress should leave their jobs.
The hashtag comes from a citizen initiative with the same name [es] and is looking to collect the necessary signatures to promote a constitutional referendum to achieve their objective. Currently, only mayors and governors can be removed from their posts, so the idea is to include a precept which allows the revocation of members of Congress.
The initiative relies on a website [es], a Facebook profile [es] and a Twitter account [es], which promote the aforementioned hashtag.
Image of “Revoquemos el Congreso”, taken from the Facebook page of the initiative.
Johnny Sanabria (@jfsanabria) [es] invites society to unite:
@jfsanabria: Siempre que el pueblo se emancipa suceden grandes cambios,libertades, o derrocamiento de tiranos!! No nos dejemos mas #RevoquemosElCongreso
@jfsanabria: Every time that the people become emancipated, great changes, freedoms or overthrowing of tyrants takes place!! We will not take it any more #RevoquemosElCongreso
While Alejandra (@arv18) [es] thinks that a change is necessary in honour of a more just country:
@arv18: Por un pais mas justo #RevoquemosElCongreso
@arv18: For a more just country #RevoquemosElCongreso
For her part, Laura Serrato Pérez (@LauriitaSerrato) [es] shows her total support:
@LauriitaSerrato: Apoyo total a la iniciativa ciudadana #RevoquemosElCongreso, como ciudadanía debemos cuidarnos de los politiqueros que cazan en ella.
@LauriitaSerrato: I support the citizen initiative completely #RevoquemosElCongreso, as a citizenry we must guard against the politicians who hunt in it.
In the same way, she expresses that the current situation should definitely change:
@LauriitaSerrano: No hay congreso corrupto que dure muchos años, ni pueblo ignorante que lo resista #RevoquemosElCongreso “
@LauriitaSerrano: There is no corrupt congress that lasts a long time, nor an ignorant people who resist it #RevoquemosElCongreso“
Two netizens, Miguel Silva Moyano (@silvamoyano) [es] and Víctor Hugo Torres (@TorresVictorH) [es] held a conversation concerning this initiative:
@silvamoyano: Yo no quiero un cambio superficial e inmediatista como #RevoquemosElCongreso . Quiero un cambio de fondo que mejore la calidad de la política
@silvamoyano: I don't want a superficial and precipitate change like #RevoquemosElCongreso [es]. I want a deep change that improves the quality of politics
@TorresVictorH: @silvamoyano: Quedarnos esperando el cambio? Alguna vez hemos hecho algo de impacto como ciudadanos inconformes? #RevoquemosElCongreso
@TorresVictorH: @silvamoyano: Should we wait for change? Have we ever made any impact as disgruntled citizens?#RevoquemosElCongreso
@silvamoyano: @TorresVictorH Uds revocan el congreso y los corruptos se reencauchan en cuerpo ajeno. Los partidos intactos y privilegiando caciques
@silvamoyano: @TorresVictorH You revoke congress and the corrupt people remould themselves in a new body. Intact parties and tyrants benefiting
@TorresVictorH: @silvamoyano: y la solución es no hacer nada? Proponemos hacer algo distinto, algo que nunca hemos hecho!
@TorresVictorH: @silvamoyano: and the solution is to do nothing? We suggest doing something different, something we've never done!
At the same time, screenwriter Gustavo Bolívar (@GustavoBolivar) [es] does his own overview of the current political situation in Colombia:
@GustavoBolivar: Col[ombia] tiene 4 enemigos mayores: guerrilla, paramilitares, narcos, y clase política corrupta culpable de que existan los 3 primeros #RevoquemosElCongreso
@GustavoBolivar: Col[ombia] has 4 main enemies : guerrilla, paramilitary, drug dealers, and a corrupt political class responsible for the existence of the first 3 #RevoquemosElCongreso
Finally, the blog MQh2 [es] highlights the members of Congress’ links with illegal armed groups:
Durante los últimos cinco años 200 congresistas de la República y 470 funcionarios de todo el país han sido salpicados por el escándalo de la parapolítica. La lista sigue creciendo pero la justicia avanza lentamente.
During the past five years 200 members of Congress of the Republic and 470 officials from around the country have been affected by the parapolitics scandal. The list continues to grow, but justice moves slowly.
The Congress of Colombia is composed of two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate, made up of a total of 268 parliamentarians. The deadline for the collection of signatures to promote a constitutional referendum expires on May 31, 2013. The number of collected signatures must be two million in order for the process to continue.