By Pablo Jofre Leal on April 11, 2022
Francia Márquez and Gustavo Petro, photo: Darwin Torres
The United States and the current government presided over by Democrat Joe Biden, in its usual stubborn way that characterizes US administrations, are increasing pressure on Latin American states to prevent the construction of a regional policy independent of Washington, both in the field of domestic and foreign policy.
In spite of all the efforts of the weak executive leadership of the White House, this policy of maximum pressure against the governments in our continent and especially against Colombia, demonstrates the persistent subordination of Colombian society to the plans and the special services of the United States, as it continues to consider their homeland as the obedient colony which Washington has turned Colombia into.
A country with 8 US military bases, also considered a strategic non-member ally of NATO, and is even called the Israel of Latin America, thus showing the role of this South American country under the influence of imperialism and Zionism.
In this reality, with the results of a country where violence breaks out daily with the assassination of union, indigenous and student leaders, demonstrate this subordination to U.S. policy carried out by the oligarchy that governs Colombia; one of the most violent and criminal in Latin America.
Colombian society and the majority support shown for the candidacy of Gustavo Petro and his presidential candidate Francia Márquez want to change that reality in the election coming up in May. And this fervent desire is being expressed in the streets, in the polls, in the opinion polls, the desire to see a politician who is different from those who have ruled Colombia for decades, under the domination of the oligarchy and right-wing politicians linked to paramilitarism and drug trafficking.
The alternative to this dramatic reality is Gustavo Petro, candidate of leftist forces that day by day is managing to attract followers, contrary to his rivals as is the case of Oscar Zuluaga of the Democratic Center – who withdrew from the presidential race last March 14 in favor of the other candidate of Uribism Federico Gutiérrez out of the fear of continuing to lose ground to the Petro-Márquez formula.
Oscar Zuluaga was a fervent supporter of former president Álvaro Uribe, accused of having managed, within the framework of the peace negotiations between the government of former president Juan Manuel Santos with the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), to make millionaire transfers through front men that promoted successful results to the so-called “peace agreements”. Add to this are the accusations regarding illegal income from the Brazilian construction company Odebrecht, which is at the center of one of the biggest corruption scandals in Latin America. However, impunity was present since in 2017 the National Electoral Council closed the investigations.
The candidacies for the May elections include the following candidates: Ingrid Betancourt of the Green Oxygen party with its slogan check to Corruption. Enrique Gómez of the Movimiento de Salvación Nacional with the slogan “Salvemos Colombia” (Let’s save Colombia). Gustavo Petro of the Pacto Histórico with his slogan “Colombia: world power of life”. Luis Pérez of the movement Piensa en Grande. John Milton Rodríguez of Colombia Justa Libre with the slogan “Por Colombia Va”. Federico Gutiérrez of Creemos Colombia with his slogan “El Presidente de la Gente”. Sergio Fajardo of Centro Democrático with the slogan “Este es el Momento” and Rodolfo Hernández former mayor Bucaramanga with his movement Lógica, Ética y Estética and his slogan “Mi única coalición es con los colombianos” (My only coalition is with the Colombians).
One of the strongest rivals for the favorite Gustavo Petro is the social democrat, teacher former governor of Antioquia and former mayor of Medellin, Sergio Fajardo, who has been formally accused of the crimes of embezzlement by appropriation and contract without compliance with the requirements, generating a patrimonial process in the governing of Antioquia between the years 2012-2015 when he was in office. Losses estimated during that time was more than 100 million dollars.
Fajardo, has been a useful instrument of the right wing, who started out in the 2022 presidential campaign with a lot of energy and possibilities but is now fading as Petro and Gutiérrez picks up steam. His movement Centro Esperanza currently is in fourth place in the polls, far behind Petro and the candidate of Uribism.
Let us remember, that in 2018 this candidate obtained 4.6 million votes, 200 thousand less than Gustavo Petro who came in second place and very far from the 7.6 million obtained by the ultra-right-wing Iván Duque in the first round.
Petro will also face Federico Gutiérrez, former mayor of Medellín chosen as sole candidate for the 2022 presidential elections by the civic movement Creemos Colombia, in the political coalition called Equipo por Colombia. Gutiérrez will be accompanied in his ticket by vice-presidential candidate Rodrigo Lara Sánchez.
Gutiérrez, who during his time as mayor, had accusations against his advisors regarding links with illegal groups, such as the so-called Oficina de Envigado (a group of hitmen at the service of drug trafficking), illegal moneylenders, dedicated to drug trafficking and extortion.
The accusation of being linked to various criminal groups was expressed in the fact that it was Gustavo Villegas, his security deputy, who mediated between his mayor’s office and these criminal groups. Villegas was arrested and convicted as a result of investigations by Colombian courts. It has been speculated, including by the Colombian right-wing press, that Gutiérrez would have intervened so that Villegas would not be arrested had he still been in mayor.
The first round in the presidential elections in Colombia will be on May 29. A month and a half before this event, social and polling companies’ preferences profile the leftist candidate, Gustavo Petro, as the favorite. The presence of his running mate Francia Márquez – lawyer, environmental activist, human rights defender, feminist, and Colombian politician – who makes visible the discriminated, the historically ignored, while awakening hope in the Afro-Colombian population, which according to UN data are communities that represent about 10 million inhabitants and are located throughout the country, although their traditional settlements are located in the Pacific coast and the Caribbean.
Afro-descendants represent 12.3% of the total internally displaced population in Colombia. – 98.3% of displaced Afro-Colombians live below the poverty line. If elected the Petro-Márquez duo will have to solve these figures together with the critical issues of health, environmental and human rights needs, among other issues of a Colombian society that needs to leave behind the narco-state fostered for decades by the Colombian oligarchy. The historic pact “Colombia can” is right now the hope for millions of Colombians.
Source: Telesur, translation Resumen Latinoamericano – English