The lesbian mayor of a Bogota municipality caused controversy on Wednesday when she announced that she plans to "marry" her girlfriend.
The mayor of Chapinero, Blanca Ines Duran, announced that she will hold a marriage ceremony with her girlfriend Catalina Villa on October 31.
The announcement ocreated a rift with conservative members of the municipality's city council.
According to evangelical council member Carlos Perez Parra, the couple's plans to make their relationship offical "go against the principles of religion. We invite all evangelicals, Catholics and all who believe in God to reject the defiant attitude of the mayor."
Parra said that a person in an executive position should serve as an example to society.
The strictly Catholic Andean country has relatively liberal laws regarding gay rights, allowing gay couples to receive the same benefits as a straight couple after registering their relationship before a notary.
However, civil matrimony is only possible for heterosexual partners. The law only permits couples of the same sex to declare their union in front of a notary, which is what the couple plan to do.
