Colombia: Gustavo Petro promises to govern by “consensus” and prepares a cabinet that generates trust

Colombia began the transition to its first center-left government at the hands of senator and former guerrilla Gustavo Petro, who raised a “grand national agreement” carry out ambitious reforms in the face of the division of the country.

The president-elect’s team of advisors accelerated the search “A cabinet of consent” which includes several names with recognized experience in their areas of work, while business companies have opened a loan to the future government.

Petro broke the tradition of conservative and liberal leaders by winning the second round last Sunday with 50.4% of votes, defeating populist millionaire Rodolfo Hernández (47.3%), according to the official tally.

With a lead of 700,601 votes, the elected president has convinced half of the Colombians his plan to transform a country with the second largest gap between rich and poor in Latin America and plagued by drug violence.

“The two Colombians”

Petro will take office on 7 August together with his vice president France Márquez, the first Afro woman to reach the highest levels of power. The victory of both was well received by most of the capitals of the Latin American region, while the United States announced its willingness to collaborate with the future president.

The European Union in turn highlighted the “indisputable result” of the elections. Meanwhile, on Monday, the outgoing government of Iván Duque ensured a “peaceful, harmonious and transparent” transition.

In his victory speech, Petro put radical ideas aside and invited the “two Colombias” who demonstrated at the polls to a “great national agreement to build maximum consensus “ around the ambitious reforms he proposed in the campaign.

“Change consists precisely in leaving hatred behind, in leaving sectarianism behind. The elections more or less showed two Colombians close in terms of votes. We want Colombia, in the midst of its diversity, to be one, ”she said. He also said that under his rule “there will be no political persecution” no matter how “iron and tenacious” the opposition may be.

Since it is a holiday in Colombia, the stock market and foreign exchange market will react on Tuesday to the left’s victory in Latin America’s fourth largest economy.

The vice president-elect reinforced Petro’s message. “The step of reconciliation is with 50 million Colombians; it is with everyone that we go forward in reconciliation, in peace, in filling the gaps of inequality and inequality, ”Márquez told W Radio. The 40-year-old environmental leader has announced that she will address these issues from a future Ministry of Equality.

business men

The local business community and the leaders of traditional parties they greeted Petro for his victory and welcomed his consensus-seeking ideas. An example of this climate was given by the president of the National Association of Colombian Entrepreneurs (ANDI), Bruce Mac Master, who stressed that he recognized Petro’s “open and legitimate” victory.

“After such a tough, so polarized and so aggressive campaign. It will be the task of everyone, but above all of the president as leader of the nation, to build bridges, environments for dialogue and conversation ”, assured the leader of the company.

In the media and in political circles, the names of major portfolios started ringing yesterday. Knowing that this is a concern of the establishment, Petro released the names of the candidates before the ballot, with which he tried to avoid market shocks like those experienced by his friend, Chilean Gabriel Boric, due to delays and rumors when he formed his cabinet.

In this sense, he cited Petro Rudolf Hommes, former finance minister in the government of César Gaviria, who supported the campaign for the senator. Likewise, the name of former minister José Antonio Ocampo, former secretary of ECLAC and former adviser to Boric, was also heard.

In the rattle there is also the former rector of the Universidad de los Andes, Alejandro Gaviria and candidate for the Centro Esperanza Coalition, who later joined the Petro campaign, as well as the economist Luis Jorge Garay, former director and consultant of the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB).

The president-elect has anticipated that a woman will be in the defense ministry. You could also join the government the former liberal minister Cecilia López Montaño, who was in the portfolio of Agriculture in the government of Ernesto Samper.

In the new National Congress that will take office on July 20, the new government of Petro will not enjoy its own majority in neither of the two chambers, therefore, must they seek agreements that allow them to carry out their projects and their reforms.

Source: EFE, AFP and Clarin

PB