The political party National Unity of Hope (UNE) is once again in dispute due to apparent arbitrariness of the current general secretary and former presidential candidate, Sandra Torres. Attacks that would be against a group of deputies who they claim distanced themselves from their guidelines.
Adim Maldonado and Inés Castillo, re-elected for the current legislature by the UNE, lead an extraordinary call to the National Executive Committee (CEN) of the party, scheduled for this Wednesday, March 6. Although it is not part of the agenda, they are contemplating the expulsion of Sandra Torres from the ranks of the UNE in the medium or long term.
The call to the CEN of the UNE is signed by Estuardo Vargas, deputy general secretary 1; Inés Castillo, deputy general secretary 2; Adim Maldonado, recording secretary; and Luis López, secretary of finance.
The first point on the agenda is to analyze the expulsion processes against members of the UNE. Castillo and Maldonado face processes of this type that have not yet been finalized within the party bodies.
“We also want to review some financial issues because it is the responsibility of the CEN and the General Secretariat to manage finances. We are concerned about two things,” explained Deputy Castillo.
Control of the UNE
Sandra Torres has officially held leadership within UNE for more than a decade. In 2012 she was elected for the first time as general secretary of the party.
But before that she was already an authority figure within the UNE, she was the first lady, being the wife of the late former president Álvaro Colom. “Sandra assaults political power, she assaulted it and it is the correct word, because she was the first lady and she exercised the functions of president,” Castillo added.
That marriage ended in a failed attempt to be a presidential candidate for the 2011 general elections. A year later, in 2012, she was named Secretary General of the UNE, and since then she has had control of the party.
In 2019, she lost her position as party leader when she was arrested due to an investigation by the Public Ministry (MP). She was accused of electoral crimes that later lost force in the judicial system.
In 2021, after a strong dispute with another group of deputies, including Orlando Blanco, Carlos Barreda and Óscar Argueta, he recovered the UNE. Now a similar political pulse is seen for the UNE and for it, Sandra Torres.
Future decision
The group of Adim Maldonado and Inés Castillo claims to have control of the CEN of the UNE. They say they have the support of at least 11 of the 21 members of the political body, which would give them a majority over Torres.
Maldonado is clear that for now they are only going to fight for the arbitrary expulsions of which he says they are the subject. The congressman was expelled by the UNE Court of Honor for a serious offense, which would be the complaint of a member, whose identity and cause of the complaint are unknown.
He is clear that everything comes from the former presidential candidate, but for now they are going to focus on legal and financial issues. Thinking about an expulsion for Torres or taking away his leadership in the short term is not part of the priorities, but it is a battle that does not seem far away either.
“We do not have that issue on the agenda, to be clear, we are not going to be irresponsible and people who do not respect the law. We respect her in her capacity as general secretary of the party, but until then, we, with or without her, are going to hold the meeting.”
Maldonado added that the separation of Sandra Torres from the UNE, for a rescue of the party, is being considered. “In the future, but at the moment it is not on the agenda, we do not rule it out.”
The alliance
Deputy Castillo considers that Torres’ actions at the head of the UNE have been questioned. The breaking point with her was the alliance that she denied with the former president, Alejandro Gimmattei.
“Disagreement arose over that political alliance and we, without another vehicle to run on, had to put up with it. Now the entire electoral process has passed, we took office and we are doing what corresponds,” Castillo said.
The UNE was even saved from being cancelled, since there were judicial resolutions that ordered it. But the legal strategy and the efforts of the members would have saved the party.
“The party belongs to the people, to the members, as we say to the good chapín, the party belongs to all of us, we must not confuse that the party belongs to Mrs. Sandra. “We are saving the institutionality of the party,” she remarked.
The deputy is clear that the decisions led by Torres have not been the best for the group. But in response, Torres’ group claims to have a majority to retain control.
“Disloyal and traitors”
Sandra Torres, former presidential candidate and general secretary of the UNE, did not speak directly; it was not possible to locate her at the cell phone number she used during the campaign or on her social networks. But an advisor close to her, who preferred not to be named, defended the UNE leader.
“The secretary general is not going to attend the meeting,” the source said. In reference to the extraordinary call led by Castillo and Maldonado.
The reason is that they affirm that the UNE has CEN sessions every Tuesday, complying with what article 30 of the electoral law says. Adding that the call is signed by two members with expulsion proceedings, these being Castillo and Maldonado, which does not make it valid.
They also question the apparent majority that congressmen opposed to Torres claim to have. The former presidential candidate’s group affirms that it has 11 regular members and three substitutes, adding that the secretary’s vote is worth double.
The source said that Torres describes the actions of the opposition deputies as an act of disloyal and traitorous people. Extraordinary call for the CEN that does not worry him, because they reaffirm that he has a majority.
Among Torres’ new opponents is Estuardo Vargas, who was his block leader in the last legislature. Who would have felt betrayed by Torres when they did not support his candidacy in Congress for re-election.
The accusations of corruption against Vargas by the United States government were enough for the UNE not to support his permanence in the legislature. In exchange she obtained a candidacy for the Central American Parliament that guaranteed her another four years with immunity.
This second attempt does not worry Torres, since it is a different scenario than a few years ago. On this occasion, politics is not detained and has the power to lead the organization, the source said.
The UNE bloc for the tenth legislature is made up of 28 elected deputies. The source close to Torres assures that half are loyal to him, but in the last votes the decisions of Maldonado and Castillo have had up to 23 votes in favor.
VOS nation
The first dispute for control of the UNE was between Sandra Torres and the then UNE deputies; Carlos Barreda, Orlando Blanco and Óscar Argueta.
Sandra Torres ended up winning that political battle, managing to retain control of the party. The opponents were left out of the ranks of the UNE and had to create their own political party.
This is how Voluntad Oportunidad y Solidaridad (VOS) was born, which won four seats in the Congress of the Republic.
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