Gustavo Petro, the president of change in Colombia?

A new chapter begins in the history of Colombia. During the next four years, Gustavo Petro will be at the head of the Government. He himself affirmed that he arrives with an air of change to give a voice to those who, according to him, were not being listened to.

“First we have to overcome pre-modernity and feudalism in Colombia, as well as the new slavery and the new slavery,” Petro said after learning of his electoral victory on June 19, 2022.

Gustavo Petro’s program

Petro’s government program is based on five basic points focused on a socialist policy.

1. Greater visibility of women. In fact, women are expected to hold 50 percent of public office at all levels. He has also promised a comprehensive plan against femicide and the decriminalization of abortion, among other things.
2. The fight against climate change, seeking a model in favor of nature and not economic interests.
3. A productive economy. An urban policy will be promoted that combats social and spatial segregation with the construction of green, humane, inclusive and productive cities.
4. A society with full rights for its citizens. Especially among the youngest. The public education system will be strengthened from early childhood to youth. Also, it will guarantee the first job for young people, it will eliminate compulsory military service, it will respect conscientious objection and the rights of the LGBTQ community.
5. Democratization of the State with a progressive reform of the Armed Forces, focused on the welfare and education of its members. Gender violence will be severely punished in the country.

Petro came to power with 50.4% of the vote compared to 47.3% for his opponent, Rodolfo Hernández, showing a deep division between the right and the left in Colombian society.

The most conservative sectors, contrary to the ideas of Gustavo Petro, do not see these projects of change with good eyes.

“We don’t believe what he’s saying. We believe that he [Petro] he’s making a total farce. He is going to lead a democratic government to a dictatorial government, a socialist and criminal government. And that is the concern that we all have at this time”, said Fabio A. Andrade, founder of the “Colombia Speaks!” network, to the voice of america.

Some conservative actors assure that Petro is close to the governments of Cuba, Venezuela and Nicaragua, three countries in the region plunged into a serious socioeconomic crisis and whose governments have been singled out for human rights violations. But from the ranks of the left related to the ideals of the new president of Colombia, they assure that they are arguments with false bases.

“What we see is the same old speech. The same thing happens in Brazil, in Ecuador, in Peru, that is, in all the countries where they are asking for a change. This same story is always presented, this type of ‘fake news’ (fake news), which has become so prevalent in recent times,” said Carlos Naranjo, promoter of the Historic Pact campaign – of which Petro-Pedro was a part. in Florida.

What will relations between the US and Colombia be like?

But both Petro’s supporters and his opponents are looking to the United States, which could lose its main ally in the region. The new president of Colombia assured that he wants to speak with the White House to address, above all, climate change.

“The time has come to sit down with the government of the United States and talk, discuss what it means that in this entire American continent that we share, greenhouse gases are emitted there, like almost no other country, and that here we assume with our Amazon jungle,” Petro said a few weeks ago.

However, the future of relations between the United States and Colombia is still unknown. And the opinions, from one side and the other, are also diverse.

“There was communication almost immediately after the elections. There was an alignment because they are very similar policies, policies that have to do with climate change, energy policy, human rights policy,” Naranjo commented.

“We recognize that this Democratic administration at this time is in tune with a left, with a change in Colombia in this sense,” Andrade said.

The United States government assured that it is willing to maintain strong ties with Colombia to build a more democratic and more equitable hemisphere.

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