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The case of Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego as the new president of Colombia is one of the acts in South America with the greatest political significance in recent years. The new government may or may not be the end of the siege of the countries in the area by the United States.
The weight of the decisions that President Petro will make is very great. There have been many years of submission to the population, both due to the violence of the authoritarian governments, as well as that exerted by the narco, even due to the armed conflict of the internal war or continuous and devastating guerrilla for the civil population. This has been the longest revolutionary war in recent decades in Latin America. There were 50 years of tragedies among the population and among the combatant organizations, such as the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC), the People’s Army (EP), the Popular Liberation Army (EPL), the National Liberation Army ( ELN) and the April 19 Movement (M-19).
The complicity of the authoritarian and corrupt Colombian governments with the US interventionist governments forced the population to seek freedom and the restoration of peace through armed means.
We do not minimize the democratic and electoral efforts that the Colombian people have exerted, but the history of the country of General Simón Bolívar, Manuela Beltrán, Josefa Canelones, Francisco José de Caldas and other independentistas and combatants, such as Camilo Torres, showed that it has been the armed the only option to fight predatory governments. Alternative that cost many valuable lives of men and women.
A brief parenthesis to remember Camilo Torres, who was identified as The guerrilla priest and, also, he was admired for his fight against the injustices committed in his nation. Some Latin American musicians even composed songs where they highlighted the influence of the priest, who went from Catholic passivity in the face of the outrages against the people to revolutionary action, defending the rights of his country with arms. Daniel Viglietti, a Uruguayan musician, composed a song for him, as did the Cuban Carlos Puebla and the Mexican José de Molina, who were inspired by the religious’s history. The Chilean Víctor Jara made the song famous cross of light, of Viglietti.
The strategic location of Colombia in the region was, among other factors, the interest of the United States to install its point of political-military dominance. Of course, with the authorization and subordination of the Colombian governments in turn.
But also, the natural mineral resources (gold, silver, oil and nickel) maintained the interest of the United States in the South American nation, as well as its borders with five countries and the Caribbean. This relationship of submission and domination will finally come to an end. We hope so. It is the great expectation for the region and for all of America.
With the proposals that President Petro has described in 10 points for his government, a new stage begins for his nation, as he already stated at his inauguration. The stop to the violence will be, as in most of the Latin American countries that have a progressive government, one of the most difficult challenges. However, the solidarity that has been manifested among the nations of the region, at least during the covid pandemic, is a promising factor in changing the course of barbarism towards the socialization of the wealth of our countries. We already deserve it!
Putting an end to Colombia’s dependence on US dominance is a major test for the new government identified as center-left. President Petro’s record is a force of political authority that he counts on to show his people that they were not wrong to elect him. But also to face the negotiations with the emissaries of President Joe Biden for the reestablishment of Colombian sovereignty.
The steps to dialogue with Biden and agree on fair solutions regarding the withdrawal of his military bases will reflect the type of policy of the newly inaugurated government (elected by way of free and secret ballot). The people of Colombia refuse to continue belonging to the US military bases that are found in various places: the island of Guam, Osaka, Japan, Guantánamo, Cuba, and other places. Let’s not forget Vieques and Culebra, islands that belong to Puerto Rico and that are an example of the damage that the irresponsible military policy of the United States can cause.
The new Colombian anti-war policy must be imposed, not only because of what has been said above, but also because the damage caused to the physical and emotional health of the population and the damage caused to the environment are serious and for this reason it is essential to take the necessary steps as soon as possible to fix them.
The number of victims due to the proliferation of the drug business that stigmatized the South American nation and the suffering that the Colombian people have suffered have already been too much.
The United States and future governments, including the current one, will have to get used to treating the countries of the Americas as their equals.
Twitter: @AntonioGershenson
