Gustavo Petro, the mayor of Bogotá, was dismissed from his post and banned from holding public office for 15 years on 9 December after an extraordinary ruling by the inspector general. Petro, Colombia’s most prominent leftist politician, was accused of serious mismanagement for his attempt to nationalise the refuse collection service in the Colombian capital on 18 December 2012, which led to three days of chaos. Petro’s popularity had sunk significantly since he took office in January 2012, and he was facing the prospect of a recall referendum, but his dismissal and the draconian ban, which he described as “a life sentence”, could have serious repercussions for the peace process in Havana.End of preview - This article contains approximately 1431 words.
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