Real change is on the horizon for Colombia, says Gustavo Petro, who wants to become the first left-wing president in the country’s history on Sunday. The Historic Pact candidate, who faces Rodolfo Hernández in the second round, vowed in a recorded presidential-style speech Tuesday night to rule with “absolute respect” for the Constitution and the laws and not to impeach. Choice or threaten private property to defuse the last fears his character stirs.
“I assure you all that the real change you have been waiting for is at hand. because we made our choice as a country,” said Petro, in a white shirt but no tie, at the beginning of his publicly made “speech”, a strategy aimed at overcoming the resistance he is provoking in some sectors and making him as positioning the candidate who best embodies the transformations needed to overcome the deep malaise revealed in last year’s social outburst.”Today I see with hope that we as a nation have woken up because we knowing that so many years of a system run by them that is not working for the majority was more than enough. The change is the feeling and the struggle of all Colombia,” he affirmed.
Petro, who grew up with the M-19 guerrilla, has long embraced pragmatism, choosing to use “speeches” in his speeches to convey a presidential image, as he did during last year’s protests. social networks about the situation in the country. Even in the latest polls, and given Hernández’s refusal to hold debates in the closing stages, Petro’s speech was reminiscent of another resilient Latin American left leader who paved the way for him. In his famous “Letter to the Brazilian People,” Lula allayed some of voters’ fears and pledged to maintain economic stability, paving his way to power in the 2002 elections.
Petro hinted Tuesday that his career as congressman and mayor of Bogotá has been devoted to fighting for social justice and fighting inequality and corruption, “with the belief that we deserve a better present and future for our families.” to imagine a country where “education and health are not luxuries”. “I will rule out of love and not out of hate,” he declared.
Beyond the well-known social accent of his speech, he offered five “fundamental and non-negotiable” guarantees that would accompany his government: the certainty that he will not be re-elected; an unwavering commitment to justice; work tirelessly and with rigor to overcome the current economic and social crisis; respect the law and the constitution; and fight head-on against corruption. As part of this last point, it was proposed to form an independent international commission to investigate cases of corruption that have occurred in the past.
His adherence to the Constitution, he stressed, includes respect for the right to private property: “I have never thought and will never think of confiscating or undermining that right for anyone,” he stressed. “I want my government to serve as a bridge so that a new generation of leaders can take the reins of the country in 2026 and we can move forward,” he said, as part of his pledge not to run again for election at the moment the leaders in Colombia no way. These pledges address the most common attacks by his critics.
Throughout the campaign, Petro has tried to soften his image. That purpose is to sever all ties with the Chavista regime in neighboring Venezuela, a declaration his opponents insist on. On the other hand, the left-wing candidate has moved decisively closer to Chilean President Gabriel Boric, who enjoys sympathies in the progressive sectors of Latin America. As he recalled in numerous interviews, if Lula’s win in Brazil is added to his eventual win in Colombia, the region would be looking for a new progressive axis.
“I am aware of the honor it would be for someone like me, coming from below, to hold a position as grand as that of President of the Nation. If you and God give me this opportunity, I’m sure I’ll do whatever it takes not to let you down,” he said solemnly. “I will wake up every morning with the energy and the desire to show you that your trust has been worth it and that, above all, your country is worth every effort,” he added in front of the camera in his home in Bogotá. with the photos of his family in the background. “The Colombia we dream of is just around the corner. You just have to find her.”
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