Oscar Iván Zuluaga will again be a candidate for the Presidency of the Republic for the Democratic Center in the 2022 elections, as announced on Monday by Uribism, which has governed since 2018 with Iván Duque.
(See: Watch out for Congress in 2022!).
“The winner is Dr. Óscar Iván Zuluaga“, affirmed the director of the Democratic Center, Nubia Stella Martínez, when revealing the name of the chosen one in the consultation.
Zuluaga already disputed the Presidency of the Republic in 2014, when he lost in the second round with Juan Manuel Santos, who then obtained his re-election.
The politician, who was also Minister of Finance between 2007 and 2010, in the second government of Álvaro Uribe, He is the first official candidate for the 2022 elections, scheduled for May 29, as the other parties are in the pre-campaign for the formation of alliances and the appointment of candidates.
Zuluaga was chosen as the standard-bearer of the Democratic Center after conducting 4,200 internal surveys of party members. This work was carried out by the firms Yanhass and Centro Nacional de Consultoría.
(See: Far-right Kast and leftist Boric, in the second round in Chile).
In addition to the winner, the senators aspired to obtain the candidacy of the Democratic Center Paloma Valencia and María Fernanda Cabal, the former deputy minister Rafael Nieto, and Josué Alirio Barrera, former governor of the department of Casanare.
THANK YOU FROM ZULUAGA
Zuluaga thanked the members of his party because they saw in his proposal “the possibility of taking Colombia to the place it deserves with opportunities for all, including our adversaries“.
(See: The lists for Congress).
“Thank you for giving me the confidence to bring the Democratic Security 2.0 proposal to all Colombians“, he assured in reference to Uribe’s flagship program during his government and that boosted his popularity.
The candidate, who will start on Tuesday a national tour in which he will be accompanied by those who were his rivals in this internal party, he stated that “Colombia is changing“and what should be understood”the new reality of the country“.
(See: Chavismo won 20 governorships and the mayor of Caracas).
“Only in this way will we be able to build a great national team to face the tough electoral challenge that lies ahead.“added Zuluaga, who is a economist of conservative origin and one of the founders of the Democratic Center.
The Uribe candidate was also Mayor between 1990 and 1991 from his hometown, Pennsylvania, in the department of Caldas, as well as senator between 2002 and 2006.
EFE