After more than 100 days of assuming the Presidency of the Republic, Gustavo Petro discussed various topics with RCN news in a controversial government for some and hopeful for others.
Although the period to cut accounts is very short, the head of state himself has gone to the board to respond openly to issues of public interest, such as the minimum wage, the EPS and subsidies for the elderly peasants, among others.
The president referred to the subsidies for the elderly population, specifically for peasants who have the least access to the pension.
It may interest you: Petro and the minimum wage: He says that “it will not work for the majority of Colombians”
He also talked about the energy transition, the EPS, the relationship with Álvaro Uribethe peace talks with the ELN and other topics of general interest.
subsidies
Petro assured that today it has not been possible to find a peasant pensioner “and that is an injustice, because they are the ones who give their productive years to the country.”
“There are three million people, some receive 80,000 pesos a month, but most do not. That everyone received 500,000 would lift them out of statistical poverty, at least they could have a bowl of soup and sleep in a decent bed. That is called intergenerational solidarity,” he said.
energy transition
It is just one of Petro’s topics to fight against climate change and he says that it is not enough, because we should talk about a decarbonized economy.
For example, the main branch of CO2 production is beef and operating in each branch and transforming them will be the challenge”, he explained.
On the other hand, having gas in Colombia, Petro ruled out importing gas from Venezuela. “According to the calculations we have, that moment would not come.”
Are the EPS running out?
Neither in pensions nor in health there will be abrupt changes, that cannot be done, Petro assured. There must be a transition period that is what allows ordering the changes.
However, in the medium and long term, Petro “He saw the EPS unnecessary because they are IPS conglomerates.”
“People think that the EPS is a hospital, but they are not that. The EPS are intermediaries to which the state delivers public benefits there are EPSs that contract hospitals to offer the service,” he said.
In addition, he stated that “It’s not about giving us back to Social Security, because that was a state fund, which had 20% of salaried people and the rest of the people went when they felt they had to. Here we are talking about a preventive model”.
