Análisis de la Política de Financiación Electoral en Colombia

Abstract

The purpose of this document is to carry out a retrospective analysis of the electoral financing policy in Colombia in recent years. This analysis was summarized in 11 stylized facts, highlighting aspects such as the influence of access to credit and the disposition of own resources in the financing of political campaigns, the concentration of spending on electoral propaganda, the way in which the configuration of electoral institutions allows and perpetuates inequity in the access to positions of power, the influence of difficult social contexts in the development of democratic activities and the absence of capacities of the electoral authorities to enforce the rules. In addition, considering the diagnosis made, the following principles were identified as principles for a better electoral financing policy: increase public financing, promoting above all the financing of electoral propaganda, the design of the electoral institutions must be consistent with the design of the financing policy where parity competition between and within the parties must be promoted, regional heterogeneities must be considered when establishing the electoral financing policy and, finally, the inspection and supervision tools available to the electoral authorities must be strengthened. In addition to this, the document comments on the Electoral Code reform project in the light of the principles previously identified, where said project is compatible with some of them, but it is still far from achieving the structural changes necessary for a better electoral financing policy. Finally, a comparative policy analysis is presented, putting in perspective the electoral financing policy of Colombia with that of some reference countries.