Colombia President Juan Manuel Santos has until 29 January to decide if he will sign the order to dismiss Bogota Mayor Gustavo Petro and ban the former Leftist guerilla from public office for 15 years.  But thus far, Santos hasn’t indicated that he will oppose the order.

Petro is asking his supporters to fill the public squares of Colombia in protest, after the disciplinary court of the Attorney General’s Office ratified the ruling of dismissal and disqualification originally issued a month ago, dismissing Petro's appeal. 

“I trust justice and the crowd”, Petro said referring to the numerous mass demonstrations already held to support him.

On 9 December, ultra-conservative prosecutor Alejandro Ordonez had decided the Mayor had violated constitutional principles by ending trash collection concessions to private companies, putting a city agency in charge.  A quirk of the Colombian constitution allows prosecutors to dismiss elected officials.  The office of Mayor of Bogota is one of the most important in Colombia and a launching board to the Presidency.

Petro’s options at this point are exhausted.  If President Santos ignores him and signs the order, that’s pretty much it – unless the courts get involved.  Petro has also sought the support of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights.