To debate or not to debate? What Petro and Hernández have said about the debates

Social networks, the bet of the candidates in Colombia 3:55

(CNN Spanish) --

After the Superior Court of Bogotá ordered the presidential candidates Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernández to schedule a presidential debate no later than 48 hours after the ruling was issued, Gustavo Petro said he was ready and on Thursday Rodolfo Hernández agreed to participate although with certain conditions.

According to the Court, which ruled after a lawsuit, the debate must be organized no later than June 16, just three days before the second presidential round, which will be on Sunday, June 19.

This Thursday, the Petro campaign denounced that no one from the Rodolfo Hernández campaign came to the meeting called by the public media outlet RTVC to organize the debate.

What have the candidates said during the campaign about the debates and which ones have they attended?

The plaintiffs before the Court said that both candidates refused to attend presidential debates.

The first, Gustavo Petro, was absent from some debates before the first round on May 29.

However, he later resumed his participation in the last televised debates before the elections.

Meanwhile, Hernández said on June 2 that he would not participate in debates, considering them "polarizing and hateful dynamics."

And he has only appeared in a few media interviews.

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But this Thursday, in a statement shared with the media by his campaign, Hernández affirmed that he is ready to debate and that he considers it important to include “at least 20 topics” in the discussion, among them: “Dirty campaign to discredit political contenders, political alliances of the candidates, abusive use of budget resources for campaigns”, among others.

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Regarding the financing of the transmission, which will be carried out through the public media system, Hernández said that he will not allocate "a single peso" because he considers that it is an "unnecessary waste" of money.

For his part, the left-wing candidate for the Historical Pact alliance, Gustavo Petro, said Thursday on Twitter that he accepts that the debate be held ordered by a court, although it must be "without conditions for the press" so that journalists ask what they want.

Consulted by local media, Petro stated that he is willing to go to Bucaramanga.

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“You say you accept the debate.

Is not true.

You mock the debate, justice, the media and Colombians by wanting to impose conditions.

No matter.

His contempt for the slightest democratic norms is total and revealing, ”Petro said on Twitter, referring to his rival.

Throughout the campaign, after the internal consultations in March in which the candidates for the presidency were defined, there have been twenty debates in Colombia.

In some cases, Rodolfo Hernández was not invited, since in the first part of the campaign he was not among the first places in the voting intention polls, which is the standard with which certain media filter the presence of the candidates.

Petro attended five debates and Hernández went to seven debates.

On March 14,

 Gustavo Petro attended the debate in

and

On March 17, neither Gustavo Petro nor Rodolfo Hernández attended

the Red+ Noticias debate,

and

On March 21, neither Gustavo Petro nor Rodolfo Hernández attended the debate on RCN Televisión, NTN 24, La República, RCN Radio and La FM.

On March 29, the debate organized by the Externado University was attended by Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernández did not attend.

On March 31, neither Gustavo Petro nor Rodolfo Hernández attended the debate at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and La Silla Vacía.

On April 7, the debate of the Administrative and Special Planning Region with the support of the FAO, neither Gustavo Petro nor Rodolfo Hernández attended.

On April 20, the meeting organized by the Book Fair, Fescol, El Espectador, Canal Capital and Blu Radio was attended by Rodolfo Hernández and Gustavo Petro did not attend.

On April 22, the debate organized by Asofondos and RCN was attended by Rodolfo Hernández and Gustavo Petro did not attend.

On April 24, neither Gustavo Petro nor Rodolfo Hernández attended the debate on Telepacífico, Blu Radio and RCN Radio.

On April 25, neither Gustavo Petro nor Rodolfo Hernández attended the meeting organized by the National Pedagogical University.

On April 26, the Caracol Radio debate was attended by Rodolfo Hernández and Gustavo Petro did not.

On April 29, the debate at the Universidad de los Andes, El Tiempo and Caracol Radio was attended by Rodolfo Hernández and Gustavo Petro did not.

On April 30, the debate of Radio Magdalena, Opinion Caribe and El Callejero in Santa Marta, neither Gustavo Petro nor Rodolfo Hernández attended.

On May 3, the meeting between the EAFIT University and El Espectador was attended by Rodolfo Hernández and Gustavo Petro did not attend.

On May 5, at the debate at the Universidad del Rosario, neither Gustavo Petro nor Rodolfo Hernández attended.

On May 8, the environmental debate on Noticias Caracol was attended by Rodolfo Hernández and Gustavo Petro did not.

On May 10, the debate on Caracol Radio, W Radio, Channel 1, Noticentro 1 CM& and ANI was attended by Rodolfo Hernández and Gustavo Petro did not.

On May 23, the debate of El Tiempo, Semana and City TV was attended by Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernández did not attend.

On May 26, the debate of Prisa Media, Caracol Radio, W Radio and Tropicana was attended by Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernández did not attend.

On May 27, the debate of Noticias Caracol, El Espectador and Blu Radio was attended by Gustavo Petro and Rodolfo Hernández did not attend.

MEET THE CANDIDATES:

• Gustavo Petro

• Rodolfo Hernandez

Elections ColombiaGustavo PetroRodolfo Hernández