According to President Iván Duque, if he were a candidate for reelection today he would win, because in his opinion, if he has fulfilled the country, he said so during an interview on the BBC.
Colombia News.
President Iván Duque is in Europe to participate in the Davos Economic Forum, and in an interview with the BBC, he said that his government “has complied with Colombians”, and that therefore, if he were to run as a candidate, ” I would be re-elected.”
The interview was based on the fact that in three months, “the president of Colombia, Ivan Dukewill hand over power.
Duque was on the BBC Hard Talk program on the BBC World Service.
unfavorable image
During the interview, they reminded him that “his government, which began in 2018, has faced a global pandemic, the implementation of the peace agreement with the FARC guerrillas, and two social outbreaks marked by strong police repression.”
And that in the midst of all this, the favorability surveys today are negative.
Duque responded that when he won, he did so with 39% of the vote four years ago.
“If I could stand for re-election, I’m sure I would be in the fight and would be re-elected, because we have important results to show,” he said.
Duque’s response has generated controversy.
According to President Duque, he would win because “there are results to show.”
The Caracol Radio survey, and Figures & Concepts, in April 2022, Duque had 71% disfavor among young people between 18 and 23 years of age.
The other surveys, such as the one by Invamer, have also shown a similar level of disapproval in recent months as a result.
hard interview
The Hard Talk is characterized by difficult interviews, whoever the guest is, and the position they hold.
For this reason, Stephen Sackur asked the Colombian president about the poverty rates, insecurity, drug trafficking and violence during the 2021 protests in the national strike.
Question (as asked in the BBC interview): People in your country don’t seem to buy those figures, these arguments. They do not believe the economic data, they do not believe him when he talks about security in the country, because it is clear that, if one looks at the numbers and contrasts them with the testimonies in different parts of the country, many people do not feel safe. People see that the drug cartels continue to operate with total impunity, that the guerrilla dissidents continue to operate, that the paramilitaries continue to operate. You have not been able to achieve the pacification of your country…
Duke replied: I insist on the facts. I inherited many problems from the previous government and now, looking at two of the most important data on security issues in Latin America, I ask you: Doesn’t having the lowest homicide records in decades benefit people? Doesn’t having the lowest number of kidnappings since these records are kept benefit people?
- One of the main drug lords, Otoniel, was captured, doesn’t that also benefit the people? He was captured and extradited. In addition, the structure of the Gulf cartel has been dismantled.
“And you tell me that people in Colombia don’t buy what I’m saying, because it’s something I’m not selling. I’m just showing you the evidence,” she said.
“Last year we had one of the largest economic growths in the world and the first quarter of this year put us as one of the economies with the fastest growth within the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries. )” was part of his response.
According to Duque, poverty and extreme poverty, both monetary and multidimensional, were reduced; homicides have decreased and social programs have been reinforced.
Promises…
Sackur, reminded the Colombian president of his promises and government plan in 2018.
«We have an obligation to transform the country, restore democracy and citizen trust, promote entrepreneurship and build a country with social justice”, which he announced in his campaign.
“But a year ago we saw thousands of people take to the streets to protest. We saw violence. We saw people go through so many needs that they couldn’t take it anymore, “said the interviewer.
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