The president of the People's Party (PP), Daniel Brea, in an interview on Noticias en 180 minutes, cleared up any doubts: He will not ask for resignations. However, in a twist that left both allies and opponents stunned, the PP's leadership decided not to ask the Caicedo family to resign or to request that their parliamentary immunity, which currently makes them untouchable, be lifted. It all exploded after Operation Nodriza, one of the most notable blows of the year against alleged drug trafficking and money laundering networks. The labyrinth of family ties took the PP's leadership "by surprise." If Cirilo Salas's list wins, the positions would be as follows: César Caicedo Jr.: Vice President of the PP, Eric Jiménez Caicedo: Third Subsecretary, Cirilo Salas: He would maintain control of the party apparatus, and according to internal voices, Salas could even hand the presidency over to Caicedo Jr. A total reorganization with a surname that is now at the center of the storm. Brea stated that they are relatively new, that they met the requirements, and that, as happened before with figures like Martín Torrijos or Alberto Vallarino, statutory exceptions were made for them. But the scandal escalated when it was revealed that two of their close relatives, César Caicedo Jr. and his cousin Eric Jiménez Caicedo, not only belong to the PP but also aspire to high positions in the new directive. Both appear on Cirilo Salas's list, the current general subsecretary and candidate for the party's presidency. "It's lamentable… this case has done us a lot of damage," the president stated. The most surprising thing: Brea said he did not know that Dayra Caicedo, kidnapped in February, was the daughter of the detained César Caicedo and sister of one of the candidates for the vice-presidency of the party. He will not lift a finger. "They can resign if they want, even on the day of the elections… but that depends on them," he declared, causing a political tsunami. Brea insisted on the presumption of innocence, stressing that only the father is linked to Nodriza, not the son or the nephew. He, for his part, will not do so. The situation has shaken the PP's image, a collective that prided itself on not having members pointed out by the justice system. However, he admitted that the door is open for a PP member to request their expulsion through the court of honor. He says he has spoken with them only a couple of times: "They seemed like educated people." With just 500 conventional delegates set to decide whether the PP will renew itself or hand its structure over to a family marked by a case that has dominated national headlines all year, the only thing clear is that the PP has no intention of acting. And meanwhile, the country is watching with a magnifying glass, awaiting the outcome of December 13, when this political drama could take an even more explosive turn. During the operation, César Caicedo Sr., a deputy substitute, was arrested, is now under house arrest, and is bringing turbulence to his party. Less than a week before the crucial internal elections of the People's Party (PP), the political collective was shaken by a whirlwind of accusations, suspicions, and uncomfortable silences. The party will not request that their immunity be lifted.
