Petro and France from magical realism and genocide to the

Petro and France, from magical realism and genocide to the Colombia of the possible PRESSENZA International News Agency


Gustavo Petro, an economist, former senator and former guerrilla member of the April 19 Movement (M-19), and Francia Márquez, a black leader and environmentalist from a small rural town in Cauca, took office as President and Vice President of Colombia to make promises that “it’s time for change, the Colombia of the possible begins”.

by Aram Aharonian

A day before the official ceremony, Petro was symbolically courted by aborigines, Afro descendants and peasants who asked him for peace in remote areas, environmental protection, protection of minorities, changes in anti-drug policy, defense of human rights, renewal of the armed forces .

“We are here against all odds, against a history that said we would never govern, against the usual, against those who did not want to give up power,” said Gustavo Petro, who published a decalogue of obligations to the Colombian, according to People , and from the first moment he showed that he is not only the new president, but also the supreme commander of the armed forces.

His first action was to order the military to bring Liberator Simón Bolívar’s sword, stolen from M-19 in 1974 and returned in the 1990s, to the dedication ceremony. Outgoing President Iván Duque had refused authorization to remove it from the sword the Presidential Palace and show it during the inauguration ceremony.

The main challenge for the next Colombian government is to promote peace, to silence the guns, but also to combat the causes of armed violence such as hunger, the enormous social inequality and the guarantee of rights that have much to do with the task of the state, racism, plutocracy, corruption, drug trafficking and paramilitarism that guarantee the production and shipment of coca to the United States.

It’s time for change, for the real Colombia, so far and so close to the magical realism of Gabriel García Márquez and the genocide of Uribism. Optimism and hope returned to Colombia and showed in the smiling faces of the white, Afro-descended and indigenous population. Elderly, women and men of all ages, but especially young people who conquered Plaza Bolívar and the streets of Bogota. yes it could

A real change, in the midst of a complicated panorama of de facto powers, violence, social disintegration and an oligarchy that has held the country under its thumb for most of its history, that has not hesitated to oppose all of these or a dirty war lead what would question his power and seems unwilling to relinquish his privileges in the first place.

“I will unite Colombia. We will unite among us all our beloved Colombia (…) We must say enough is enough for the division we face as a people. I don’t want two countries, just like I don’t want two societies. I want a strong, fair and united Colombia”.

Among the first definitions as the new president, he underscored his willingness to honor the Havana Peace Accords and open dialogue with the armed groups to end six decades of violent conflict that left at least 450,000 dead, most of them civilians, between 1985 alone and 2018

“This is the government of life, of peace, and that is how it will be remembered,” he said, after noting that the main thing will be “to protect Colombian men and women from violence and work so that the Families feel safe and calm. “

And he pointed out that narcotics policy must be changed to make peace possible. “The war on drugs has failed,” he said, citing the US’s financial and military backing of anti-drug policies.

He called for an international convention to recognize this failure of Washington-sponsored policies that have led states to commit crimes and the horizon of democracy is evaporating, and his condemnation of inequality, which he called nonsense and amorality.

What was surprising was that the US government sent a delegation led by Samantha Power, administrator of the “US development assistance agency” USAID, and not by the secretary of state. One of the biggest unknowns that the new administration will have to sort out will be the delicate balance it has with the United States in order not to be forced to continue being a pawn in that country’s foreign policy in the region.

“The War on Drugs has murdered a million Latin Americans in those 40 years and claimed the lives of 70,000 North Americans from drug overdoses each year. The war on drugs has led states to commit crimes and has blurred the horizon of democracy. Projection.

Curious?: The hegemonic press sought to minimize the sea of ​​citizens that accompanied the presidential couple as they took office, reminding him ahead of his 24-hour reign that he had yet to deliver on his campaign promises…

The model

It is a question of reviving the neoliberal model that has been rooted in Colombia for decades, and for this the new government is proposing a law against hunger and poverty as a first measure to combat poverty, which affects more than 45 percent of the population of around 50 million inhabitants a basic income included in the Historic Pact program. According to surveys, four out of ten Colombians are starving.

He pointed out that “10% of the Colombian population has 70% of the wealth, that’s nonsense and amoral”. Y He spoke of tax reform.

The new government finds a country caught between crisis and bankruptcy, with a budget deficit of over 7 percent of GDP. If it wants to carry out redistribution measures, it needs fiscal resources, which must be made available through the tax reform. “It’s just the solidarity payment that someone who is lucky makes to a society that allows and guarantees their wealth,” he said.

This tax reform may be worth an estimated $12 billion, which is 4 or 5 points of GDP, and must redefine the tax structure that has so far favored big business. “It means taxing the wealth of the great potentates. It will not punish the middle and poor sectors with higher taxes.

In his speech, he recalled that his plans also include free public university education, changes in the health care system and subsidies for poor elderly people who do not receive a pension.

His economic promises, including reforming the pension system and banning new oil exploration projects in favor of renewable energy, made businesspeople and investors nervous, even though he appointed renowned economist José Antonio Ocampo as finance minister. The president also pledged to fight corruption and climate change and boost national industry.

Although the left failed to win a majority of the 295 seats in Congress, Petro consolidated a coalition with centrist forces and traditional parties like the Liberals that would guarantee approval for his reforms and his ability to govern.

The new President announced that gender equality is possible and care responsibilities should be taken into account as women typically devote three to four times as many hours to them. “It’s time to fight these inequalities and balance the scales,” he said, announcing that Francia Márquez will head the equality ministry.

The path is not easy: it is about rebuilding the social fabric, torn by devotion to selfishness and individualism; To build bridges of dialogue in a society infected by the rhetoric of hate and contempt for difference. The oligarchic sectors have thus legitimized their rule for two centuries.

green government

Likewise, the Petro-Márquez government will look to a green future by embracing a sustainable model and aligning the economy with nature. “We are ready for a coal-free, oil-free economy, but doing little to help humanity. We are not the ones emitting greenhouse gases. It’s the rich of the world who do it. Where is the Global Fund to Save the Amazon Rainforest?

Gustavo Petro suggested swapping external debt for internal spending in favor of environmental protection: “If the International Monetary Fund helps swap debt for concrete action on the climate crisis, we will have a new prosperous economy.”

The progressive formula managed to defeat the oligarchy that did everything to stay in power: money, drugs, drug cartels, state institutions, all conservative political forces, right-wing liberals with their variants, fake news and shit news, American power underworld, foreign and domestic media cartels. The triumph was not just for Petro, but for a people fed up with so much oppression, corruption, hunger… and with no future in sight.

But one is the government and the other is the seizure of power. And he has four years ahead of him for that. Let them rule for now.

In the presence of a dozen heads of state including Alberto Fernández, Luis Arce (Bolivia); Gabriel Boric (Chile), Xiomara Castro (Honduras), Guillermo Lasso (Ecuador) warned Petro to make Latin America one in concrete projects. “Latin American unity cannot be mere rhetoric. Have we perhaps achieved a power grid that covers all of America? It’s time to work together,” he said.

It is extremely encouraging that Colombia is breaking out of its centuries-old inertia and turning to progressiveism, particularly with regard to regional integration. With social sensitivity and sovereign imprint, we hope that the new Colombian government will be a new engine to face together the common challenges of the Latin American and Caribbean subcontinent.

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