Colombia presidential candidate Gutierrez reports microphone found in campaign office

BOGOTA (Reuters) – Colombian center-right presidential candidate Federico Gutierrez on Tuesday mentioned a microphone had been discovered illegally put in in one in every of his marketing campaign places of work within the Andean nation’s second metropolis of Medellin.

The microphone was discovered on Friday and police have been instantly notified Gutierrez – who opinion polls put in second place behind leftist entrance runner Gustavo Petro – instructed journalists.

Gutierrez, a former mayor of Medellin, known as on his opponent to make clear if he had something to do with the microphone.

“This marketing campaign is past soiled, that is unlawful and it’s a legal act that places democracy in danger,” Gutierrez mentioned.

Miguel Angel del Rio, a lawyer near Petro, denied the leftist’s motion had something to do with the microphone being positioned in Gutierrez’s marketing campaign workplace.

Petro and Gutierrez have every traded accusations that the opposite’s marketing campaign is receiving help from unlawful armed teams in Colombia, together with the leftist Nationwide Liberation Military (ELN) and Clan del Golfo.

Earlier this month Petro canceled occasions in Colombia’s espresso area due to what his workplace mentioned was a plot to assassinate him.

Equally, Gutierrez and leaders in his marketing campaign reported receiving threats from a legal group referred to as the Aguilas Negras over the weekend, which police are investigating.

The primary spherical of voting within the presidential elections takes place on Might 29. If no candidate wins greater than 50% of the vote, a second spherical will happen on June 19.

(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Writing by Oliver Griffin; Modifying by Chizu Nomiyama)