Elefante blanco means a white elephant, a term used in reference to corruption in government projects
‘White Elephant’ takes seat in Colombia’s Senate
Colombia has sworn in an “elephant” as a senator during an oath-taking ceremony marking the start of the country’s latest parliamentary session. The new Senate includes 102 members: 69 men, one elephant and 32 women.
The new senator is not literally an animal. Instead, he walked down the narrow central aisle of Congress’s ceremonial chamber wearing an elephant costume.
The 34-year-old anti-corruption activist Luis Carlos Rua ran most of his campaign from behind the costume. He revealed his identity only three days before the vote. He described himself as Elefante blanco.
Meaning behind ‘Elefante blanco’
Elefante blanco means “white elephant,” a term commonly used to describe corruption in government projects. It often refers to overpriced, abandoned or ultimately useless public works.
Rua has exposed such “white elephants” on social media for the past five years. His work has earned him a massive following among Colombians.
Carlos became the most voted candidate for the country’s senator with over 124,000 votes. Speaking after the ceremony via a video call, the “elephant” dressed in formal attire said: “The inauguration day was spectacular because nothing like it had ever happened anywhere in the world. No senator had ever taken office like that.”
Rua created his “White Elephant” character in 2019 while working at the mayor’s office in Pereira. There, he witnessed the administration pressuring employees to secure votes for a candidate. He recorded the conversation and leaked it to the press.
Death threats forced the activist to leave the city. However, exposing corruption became his mission. He anonymously posted his first video in November 2021.
Talking about his decision to adopt a mysterious and anonymous identity, Rua said: “Here in Colombia, if you don’t do things the way the crooked people want, you are not welcome.”
