Hospitalized by COVID-19 the former mayor of Bogotá and candidate Enrique Peñalosa

The former mayor of Medellín Federico Gutiérrez, who is Peñalosa’s partner in the electoral coalition Equipo Por Colombia, confirmed that he “was hospitalized for COVID-19”, although he did not give more details of the candidate’s condition.

Peñalosa, who was mayor of Bogotá from 1998 to 2000 and later from 2016 to 2019, explained today that he was unable to attend a meeting of his platform, Team For Colombia, which brings together several former mayors for a joint candidacy for the elections of the next 29 of May.

“Because I had COVID-19 I could not attend,” Peñalosa said late in the afternoon in a message on social networks.

Sources from the Simón Bolívar Hospital confirmed to Noticias Caracol that Peñalosa “entered with low saturation”, but that he is “under control”.

“My prayers tonight will be for the health of @EnriquePenalosa. I hope for his speedy recovery and reincorporation into the public debate to which he has so much to contribute,” said the candidate for the ruling Democratic Center, Óscar Iván Zuluaga, on his Twitter account, who was speculated on a possible association with the coalition of former mayors.

The senator for the Democratic Center Paloma Valencia also spoke of “seriousness of the disease”, although since the formation of the former mayor they have not commented on anything.

Peñalosa is one of the candidates for Team for Colombia, a coalition that also includes strong figures from the Colombian center-right such as the former mayor of Medellín Federico (“Fico”) Gutiérrez and the mayor of Barranquilla Alejandro Char.

In recent days there has been speculation about the possible entry of the Uribe candidate, Zuluaga, into this formation and thus group the spectrum further to the right of the electoral contest.