On Tuesday, January 26, the Constitutional Chamber ruled that one of its most recognized candidates, Walter Araujo Morales, cannot be registered as a candidate.
The constitutional court accepted part of a lawsuit filed by Nuestro Tiempo’s candidate Bertha María Deleón, asking for Araujo’s candidacy to be annulled for notoriously lacking morality. This is because it has an open file for alleged displays of violence against women, as well as a record of aggressiveness towards women in social networks.
By admitting this point, the House has ordered the suspension of the candidacy as a precautionary measure and ruled that Araujo cannot appear on the ballot.
Faced with this apparent political defeat, the President of the Republic posted a series of controversial messages on his Twitter account.
SEE ALSO: We regret that Bukele’s response to the Constitutional Chamber is “weapons and violence,” said Portillo Cuadra.
The first was a photo without context or explanation of a military platoon. Less than a year after leading a Legislative Assembly takeover involving heavily armed military and police, that photo shared by the president has sparked concern and alarm, and several Twitter users condemned these reactions from the president.
Later, as a mockery and parody, the president changed his name and photo on Twitter to “Admiral General Aladeen”. This is the character from the movie The Dictator, starring British comedian Sacha Baron Cohen. In it he portrays Aladeen, a bloody, misogynistic, violent and offensive dictator from a fictional country in the Middle East.
SEE: Walter Araujo cannot run for a deputy for NI
Aladeen is one of Baron Cohen’s characters who, through satire and black humor, denounces authoritarian situations, serious human rights violations, misogyny and political violence in many states. In addition, it uses these types of characters as a way to criticize and condemn corruption and the unjustified conspiracy of some actors of corporate power with political figures.
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Basically, Baron Cohen uses these characters to challenge abuse of power and bullying. Situations observed, questioned and condemned by local and international observers in El Salvador over the past year and a half.
Tantrum or threat?
With regard to the images of the military and the allusion to a bloodthirsty dictator in a film, Human Rights Watch director José Miguel Vivanco criticized Bukele’s reaction with armed soldiers and questioned whether it was a veiled threat from the president. used to be.
“El Salvador: Supreme Court, @SalaCnalSV, suspends Walter Araujo’s candidacy for Bukele’s party deputy over” alleged pattern of violent behavior against women. ” What was Nayib Bukele’s response? Upload a photo with armed soldiers. Tantrum or threat? Vivanco asked.
This response from the president has been ridiculed on social networks by dozens of users who, despite his attempt to divert attention, remind him that Walter Araujo, who was also a deputy and leader of ARENA and candidate for GANA, will not be able to looking to remain a candidate.