The opposition recalls its revolutionary past to sow doubts about the new phase opening in the country
The first left-wing government in Colombia’s history takes office this Sunday with the aim of changing the country. Gustavo Petro Urrego, 62, elected president in the second round on June 19 with more than 11 million votes (50%), based his entire election campaign not only on uniting a bisected Colombia, but also on transforming it. of it in a world power of decent living. It is the main promise emphasized in the program by the Historic Pact, a political group led by Petro.
This country in the north of South America, which has more pages of red ink because it is one of those who constantly lives in the struggle for peace, but eventually becomes one of the most violent on the continent; with one of the largest inequalities in the world and marked by corruption, the country faces a historic challenge that begins tomorrow and the next four years. It promises to be an innovative government, with major goals such as democratizing knowledge and education, an energy transition, fighting for reintegration with nature, striving for health for life, placing more value on the cultural strength of indigenous peoples and the Afro-Colombian population, and prioritize a policy of dialogue and understanding.
Gustavo Petro reaches the presidency of Colombia after completing all political courses. He was a civil servant, councilor, representative in the House, senator and mayor of Bogotá, the capital of the country. But he was also a revolutionary and his history will always show that he belonged to the extinct guerrilla group of the M-19. And it is in that past that many of its detractors are relying on sowing doubts about whether Colombia’s first leftist government in its history will eventually lead the country into a new Venezuela, Nicaragua or Cuba.
However, since he was elected, Petro’s actions and speech have created an atmosphere of confidence and positivism in the public. In addition to the political phenomenon that has led to the leading role of Francia Márquez Mina, who will hold the vice presidency, an Afro-Colombian environmental fighter, the new president has appointed people who provide confidence to the citizen for the ministries of Finance, Culture, Education, Health, Environment and Agriculture. Petro had not formed his entire cabinet until yesterday, a fact that is awaited with anticipation in the country.
Colombia will experience a different celebration tomorrow than it has experienced at previous presidential inaugurations. It does so on a historic date when it celebrates the Battle of Boyacá, which gave way to the country’s independence. It is an act where some protocol issues have been eliminated to make it a more cultural asset, with the participation of more than 1,000 artists in various places in Bogotá. Another act organized for the citizens, where the president, together with his family, will explore a street that will be full of symbols of peace, biodiversity and with the presence of representatives from all regions of the country. Earlier, last Thursday, Petro traveled to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta to perform a symbolic act with the Arhuaca community that gave him command.
Petro’s inauguration will have 100,000 guests, including King Felipe VI of Spain, and Presidents Gabriel Boric (Chile), Alberto Fernández (Argentina), Luis Arce (Bolivia), Guillermo Lasso (Ecuador), Mario Abdo Benítez (Paraguay), Laurentino Cortizo ( Panama), Luis Abinader (Dominican Republic), Xiomara Castro (Honduras) and Rodrigo Chaves (Costa Rica). United States President Joe Biden has sent a delegation to be chaired by Samantha Power, director of the International Agency for Development. Mexico will be in attendance with the first lady, Beatriz Gutiérrez. But Nicolás Maduro (Venezuela), Daniel Ortega (Nicaragua) and Miguel Díaz-Canel (Cuba) will not be there, who will send his foreign minister.
The security of the act will be in the hands of 15,000 members of the public power, 10,000 of the police and 5,000 of the military. Despite being invited by Gustavo Petro himself, the leader of the Democratic Center Party, the big loser of the election, Álvaro Uribe, has apologized for his absence because “I have been in a prison complex for two years and I will not attend because of the modesty distracted of my legal situation that I want to overcome.
On Friday, Gustavo Petro received a proposal from civil society organizations for an emergency plan to protect the lives of a leader and social leaders in Colombia. According to the Somos Defensores program, 996 attacks on social leaders were recorded in 2021, with 139 murders, 665 threats and 93 attacks. As of July of this year, another peace development study reports 102 murders of defenders and 26 signatories, showing an upward trend since the signing of the peace accord. Developing this agreement, which practically blocked the outgoing government of Iván Duque, is the great challenge of this Colombia that from today will begin to realize the dream of a change for life.
Source: La Verdad
I am an experienced and passionate journalist with a strong track record in news website reporting. I specialize in technology coverage, breaking stories on the latest developments and trends from around the world. Working for Today Times Live has given me the opportunity to write thought-provoking pieces that have caught the attention of many readers.
