One day after the inter-party consultations, Gustavo Petro and Federico Gutierreztwo of the winners on election day this Sunday, saw each other’s faces again together with the candidate Ingrid Betancourt at debate of the great Alliance of EL TIEMPO and Semana.
(Read: Petro’s coup authority in this Sunday’s voting).
CAN THEY WIN IN THE FIRST ROUND?
One of the first topics was the possibility that each candidate would win in the first round and what are their real options to do so.
Regarding the issue, Gustavo Petro stated that “We have to be humble and accept that all democratic political forces have a place in this effort. The only ones who do not fit here are the corrupt and genocidal.”
In addition, the winning candidate for the Historical Pact He said that he does see the possibility of winning in the first round.
For his part, Federico Gutiérrez pointed out that with the elections this Sunday “It became clear who can go on to confront populist projects such as those defended by Gustavo Petro” and that through the union “We can get to the first round strengthened and we can win.”
In the meantime, Ingrid Betancourt He said that there will be a second, since Gustavo Petro passed the first. “It happened because he worked with machinery”expressed the candidate, who said that in the second round she will win.
Ingrid Betancourt and Gustavo Petro.
Cesar Melgarejo
THE DEBATE WAS ON
Betancourt and Petro They were the first to ignite the debate, after the Oxygen Party candidate claimed Petro for “associating” with Piedad Córdoba, and criticized the fact that the coalition of the Historical Pact had given her the endorsement to reach the Senate. She also reproached him for Gustavo Petro’s alleged alliance with the Liberal Party and César Gaviria, and with former members of the FARC, authors of his kidnapping.
Faced with the accusation, Petro denied that members of the Comunes Party, a former FARC guerrilla, were part of that coalition.
(What’s more: Peñalosa and Robledo: the decline of the Enriques?).
In this regard, Federico Gutiérrez supported Ingrid.
ZULUAGA’S SUPPORT FOR ‘FICO’ AND OTHER SUPPORTS
The winner of the Team for Colombia referred to the support offered by the former Democratic Center candidate, Óscar Iván Zuluaga. He said that this Monday afternoon he had called him to express his support and announce his retirement.
“I will welcome him, as well as many people,” Gutierrez added. He added that he is not the Uribe candidate, but that he will accept political support.
In relation to Zuluaga’s support for ‘Fico’, Ingrid Betancourt pointed out that the country is experiencing “deja vu” with the “extremes, left and right.”
“They are populisms of the left and of the right.”
He stated that “the center is alive” and that the country is eager to support the center. “I represent the center”he said, noting that Sergio Fajardo is no longer the representative of that sector.
“We are going to unite the country in another way, not with ideologies, not with extremes”. He pointed out that the extremes “are tied” and he sees it as difficult for them to solve the country’s problems.
Gustavo Petro, in turn, stated that “In Colombia we don’t talk about left and right but about life or death policies”something that needs to be changed.
Ingrid Betancourt, Gustavo Petro, ‘Fico Gutiérrez’ in the debate of the great Alliance of EL TIEMPO and Semana.
Cesar Melgarejo
HEALTH
One of the great topics of the debate was the proposals regarding health in Colombia. In this regard, the candidate Gustavo Petro insisted on a preventive model.
For this, it proposes the creation of Primary Care Centers for every 20,000 inhabitants throughout the national territory. Furthermore he said that “If you want there to be no queues or decent remuneration for doctors, you have to change intermediation, and those are the EPSs.”
For its part, Ingrid Betancourt He stated that he will give priority to the care of women and that he will work to “make health a service and not a business”.
He also said that the center of the problem is not the EPS but the machinery that these health entities control.
(Keep reading: The struggle of Francia Márquez, the revelation of a new policy).
Federico Gutiérrez said that the model he would apply would point to prevention and health promotion and that under his government “EPS that does not work is liquidated”.
RELATIONS WITH THE USA
On the question of whether his government would reconsider diplomatic relations with the United States, Gustavo Petro said “I would renegotiate the FTA” with that country at the point of importing food in order to protect national agriculture and improve the conditions of Colombian farmers.
Ingrid Betancourt, For his part, he pointed out that two issues will be put on the agenda: drug trafficking and migration.
Regarding the first issue, he stated that “the war against drug trafficking is a failure” and that therefore he will propose to the United States to work together to “decriminalize drug use” and move those resources for the peasants.
Federico Gutiérrez said that he will maintain the relationship “bipartisan” with the United States.
Federico Gutierrez, Ingrid Betancourt and Gustavo Petro.
Milton Diaz
RELATIONS WITH VENEZUELA
For Federico Gutierrez, “Maduro’s relationship with Colombia has been through the FARC, dissidents, Piedad Córdoba and Gustavo Petro”, therefore, it does not recognize Maduro as a government in Venezuela but as “a dictatorship”. However, he mentioned that it is important to recognize what is happening at the borders and does not rule out the possibility of doing so.
For its part, Gustavo Petro He said that he would reestablish relations with Maduro and added that an alliance with NATO “is savage.”
At that point he referred to double standards: “If the theory is that you cannot have diplomatic relations with a dictatorship, and Venezuela is, why does this government have relations with the United Arab Emirates, which is a dictatorship, perhaps worse? Why is it rich?” He stated that diplomatic relations are established with nations and not with a person.
(Also read: Elections and oil plunged Ecopetrol’s stock this Monday).
Ingrid Betancourt He said that he would reestablish relations with Venezuela under conditions and one of them is that “Maduro gives us the leaders of the gangs that are operating on the Venezuelan border and that are affecting our public order: Eln, FARC dissidents”.
“For me, the important thing is the Venezuelan people and Nicolás Maduro is a dictatorship,” he added.
BRIEFCASE
