MOCA clarifies meeting between Lombana and Martinelli

The Movimiento Otro Camino (MOCA) has confirmed a meeting between its president, Ricardo Lombana, and the president of the Realizando Metas (RM) party, Ricardo Martinelli. The encounter took place in Colombia, where Martinelli is currently residing as an asylum seeker following a conviction in the New Business case.

MOCA issued a statement clarifying that the meeting does not constitute a political agreement or an electoral alliance for the 2029 elections. The organization emphasized that “listening is not pactmaking” and maintained that its stance on corruption and judicial decisions remains unchanged. The group noted that Lombana is engaging in a cycle of discussions with various political leaders and former presidents.

The movement expressed significant concern regarding proposed reforms to the Electoral Code currently being debated in the National Assembly. MOCA argues these changes could undermine electoral equity, specifically citing the proposal to increase the threshold for registering new parties and independent candidates from 2% to 5% (or 3%, per some reports), the disproportionate distribution of public financing favoring established parties, and the potential dismantling of the National Commission for Electoral Reforms.