Populist Hernández returns to tech tie with leftist Petro in countdown to Sunday’s presidential election
“The country is sitting on a volcano that is about to erupt.” The metaphor corresponds to the academic, writer and former Minister of Health of Colombia Alejandro Gaviria, who intervened in one of the most tense campaigns this country has seen in recent decades to show its support for the candidate of the left, Gustavo Petro. Gaviria also aspired to the presidency with the Centro Esperanza coalition.
The polls speak of a technical tie between Petro and Rodolfo Hernández, the two candidates who will compete in the second round on Sunday and lead Colombia’s next government. Petro (62), who plans to become the country’s first left-wing president, received 8,527,768 votes (40.33%) on May 29, while Hernández (77) surprised with a populist speech on anti-corruption and anti-corruption policies. reached 5,953,209 supports (28.15%).
The countdown has already begun for Colombia to define a future that none of the options seem to guarantee with certainty. The bet on Petro, who appeared to be the main favorite to win in the first round, has been weakened by the social network attacks of the defeated right, by the leaks of videos showing his advisers’ unexemplary strategies to destabilize to his rivals and, of course, because of the fear of many citizens that Petro’s left-wing stance will lead to “Castrochavism”, fear that the candidate himself will come forward with proposals that are far from any authoritarian system, that respect the current constitution and promise a reform that lead all Colombians to live a change in their lives.
In the past week, Petro has had key supporters such as Alejandro Gaviria, Antanas Mockus, former mayor of Bogotá, or Angélica Lozano, senator and partner of the current mayor of the capital, Claudia López, who support their support because the option it offered is more responsible, institutional and liberal.
Rodolfo Hernández, who headed the Bucaramanga City Council, is not offering heaven and inviting optimism. On the contrary. But to his credit, “everyone but Petro” is pushing himself. Hernández has done almost everything a candidate to lead a country would not do. His motto is “remove all those corrupt politicians who have been in government for years”. But if he is elected, he will first have to answer to a judge on a pending corruption charge.
A few days ago, “The Washington Post” recalled that Colombia is on the brink of making president a former mayor who beat a councilor, threatened to shoot another citizen and made the mistake of saying he admired a German thinker named Hitler. . However, he always has the opportunity to find rectification. Then he said he was talking about Einstein.
The candidate’s latest event to rule the country of Gabriel García Márquez and Fernando Botero happened a few days ago when a media outlet asked him whether he would accept any political support if he were elected president. «I receive the Blessed Virgin and all the prostitutes who live in the same neighborhood with her. I receive everyone, but I will not change my speech. was his answer. A day later, and after being reprimanded by the Church itself and many of its supporters, he admitted he had been wrong and apologized.
Hernández also accused Gustavo Petro of being a member of a criminal gang after listening to videos in which some of the strategists from the Historic Pact candidate’s campaign discovered his dirty tricks to destabilize his rivals. Hernández said he was afraid his life was in danger, he went to Miami for a few days and announced that he would not participate in any debate. However, on Wednesday, Bogotá’s Supreme Court ruled that, because of “the national interest” of these elections, a face-to-face meeting is a right for citizens to know their candidates. Hernández claimed that his political program is available on the networks.
The vice presidential candidate for Petro, Francia Márquez, responded to this speech: “How different we are. Out of fear, I entered politics, to defend my people. Out of fear, you board a plane to Miami. Is this how you plan to defend the country every time something scares you? Colombian women are much braver than that.
It will be the first time Colombia is not in direct contrast to the two candidates who want to rule for the next four years. This totally unusual situation in elections in the South American country perpetuates expectations and fears that Colombia will not just vote for a president on Sunday. Your democracy is at stake.
Source: La Verdad
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