On Sunday night, President Gustavo Petro interrupted television programming to give a new speech. This time he returned to several points that he had discussed during the past week in his speeches, especially that of the ‘march of the gray hairs’. A different matter this time was that on national television he reiterated his call for a national agreement.
At the beginning of his speech, the president once again attacked the media. As has become customary in other spaces, he pointed out them as opponents, ignoring the calls of the Foundation for Press Freedom and even a presidential directive for the non-stigmatization of journalists.
He then spoke about social reforms, not only defending them, but also asserting that the objective of his government is to build a more just Colombia based on a pension, health and education system different from the current ones. He mentioned Olmedo López and assured that fewer and fewer officials “think about stealing,” although he did not mention that he was an official in his government and appointed by him.
“When you voted for me it was to change that. In the path of change, immense state, social or political powers appear trying to prevent it,” said Gustavo Petro, who linked the rulings against his decrees and the slow progress of his reforms in Congress with a form of sabotage of his government project.
The President then listed the advantages that the pension reform brings to various sectors – with a view to the debate that is taking place over the lawsuits against it in the Constitutional Court – and some of his government’s achievements. He highlighted issues such as the decrease in poverty, the curbing of inflation, the emphasis on the energy transition and the delivery of land with a view to agrarian reform. He also considered the economic agreement signed by the banks as an alternative to forced investments as one of his successes.
Along those lines, as already happened in Plaza Bolívar on Thursday, she called on the population to mobilize: “Only with you active, in the streets, on the networks, without silencing us, can we move forward. Sometimes there is laziness or discouragement, but Colombia was only born and grew with its people fighting.”
He then went on to speak again of an alleged plan to end his life and remove him from power. “Despite these relative successes, the reforms and public policies we implemented have led a powerful and sectarian group to think of assassinations,” said Petro, who then mentioned alleged plans to poison him – like the one Alfredo Saade told RTVC about – or to place explosives against his scheme, or even to have a sniper kill him.
The accusations were made without providing evidence, although they referred to the interview with the acting US ambassador, Francisco Palmieri, who said that there is a “real concern.” Using the same logic, he again questioned the process of his campaign in the CNE.
Along these lines, he addressed the members of the Public Forces directly: “I tell these soldiers that their president orders them not to raise their weapons against the people, to help the humble because they may be their father or mother. To melt into the hearts of the people because they are their greatest defense.”
Gustavo Petro.
In this regard, he said that Colombia has three paths to choose from: “Go back to shooting thousands of young people and blood everywhere, impose changes by force or achieve peace through dialogue and ensure that the changes that the people need are made in a dialogued and calm manner.”
He emphasized the call for dialogue and asserted that this is what his government has sought. “I prefer the latter option and that is why I called for a national agreement two years ago,” said the president, who did not mention that the agreement had recently been halted by his statements. He then asserted that he extends his hand to those who would be seeking to remove him from power: “We tell them not to repeat the tragic history of Colombia. We deserve a different history and a different fate.”
