The National Registry of Colombia issued a formal apology this week to Juan David Perez Quintero, a member of the Colombian national blind 5, a-side soccer team, after he was mistakenly designated as a voting jury member for the upcoming March elections.
The incident, which Pérez highlighted in a viral social media video, sparked a national debate over the lack of oversight in the country’s automated selection processes for election officials.
Despite his total blindness, Pérez was expected to perform technical and surveillance duties at a polling station in Piedecuesta, Santander.
An “involuntary and incomplete” error
Colombia’s National Registry explained that the error stemmed from an automated system that pulls names from lists provided by public and private institutions. In this instance, the Piedecuesta Mayor’s Office, Pérez’s employer, submitted his name without noting his visual disability.
The situation was further complicated when Perez initially sought an exemption for his role as a voting jury given him being blind. According to the athlete, Colombia’s registry told him he needed to provide an “updated” disability certificate.
📢 #EstáPasando | “Como la ven”: un deportista ciego fue designado jurado de votación.
Juan David Pérez, jugador de la Selección Colombia de fútbol 5 para ciegos, compartió en redes sociales que fue seleccionado como jurado para las próximas elecciones, pese a su discapacidad… pic.twitter.com/ZEzHEtxTju
— Proclama del Pacífico (@Proclama) February 20, 2026
“The disability certificate should not be updated unless the disability has changed,” Pérez said in his video, noting the absurdity of the request for a permanent condition. “In our case, we are totally blind; it is not going to change.”
Official rectification and apology
Following the controversy, Ricardo Montoya Infante, the Registry’s delegate in Santander, admitted to a faulty interpretation of the initial documentation.
The agency has since formally exonerated Perez under Article 108 of the Electoral Code, which allows for exemptions based on serious illness or physical incapacity.
“The Registry reiterates its respect for fundamental rights to health and a dignified life,” the agency stated in a press release. Officials also apologized to Pérez and promised to expedite similar requests for other citizens in the same situation.
Voting duty exemption criteria in Colombia
According to the Colombian Electoral Code, citizens can be excused from jury duty for several specific reasons, such as serious illness proven by a medical certificate under oath, the Recent death of a spouse, parent, or child.
Additionally, if the person no longer lives in the municipality where they were summoned, they are exempt from participating. If the individual is a relative of a candidate in the same election, he is also exempt from participating.
To prevent future errors, the Registry is urging people with disabilities to ensure their medical status is updated with their employers, as these entities are responsible for reporting the lists of eligible citizens to electoral authorities.