2023-11-17 07:01:00
Although President Gustavo Petro has been talking for months about his famous “national agreement”, and in fact, last July – during the installation of Congress – he seemed to show signs of wanting to advance in dialogue and agreement, only until now does he seem to give tangible signs of their interest in sitting down to debate and reach consensus. This was evident with his invitation to the opposition to have a red wine in the Palace, a gesture as simple as it was powerful that makes evident the difficulties that he continues to face in carrying out his controversial reforms in Congress.
Although in recent months Petro himself has led meetings and conclaves with businessmen, political party groups, labor confederations or the Catholic Church, the truth is that he has not managed to tackle the increasingly tense political and social environment, which also results in its decimated popularity: 64% disapprove, according to the most recent Datexco survey.
Given this – with no elections involved and aware that time is running out to move forward with his ambitious legislative agenda – Petro summoned former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, head of the Democratic Center, to have a red wine and seek agreements. It’s not just any invitation.
Just this Wednesday, in the middle of a heated debate in the House of Representatives, the opposition – with the Democratic Center, Cambio Radical and even independents on board – demonstrated that through valid maneuvers in democracy such as breaking the quorum of the sessions can shake the reforms, specifically the controversial health reform.
“I invite the Democratic Center to something more rational. Come, we’ll have a red wine and see what your problem is with the reform. If there are points in common, we present them to the debate phase in the Senate,” said Petro on X (formerly Twitter), assuming that the initiative will be approved in the second debate and then go to the Senate.
Uribe surprised by answering that the opposition should accept red wine; However, he conditioned the meeting on putting a stop to the reform process. However, the Head of State responded by saying that of course you can taste the red wine and that you are welcome at the Casa de Nariño, but “without stopping the debate (…) in the face of the discussion of health reform in the Senate.”
For political scientist María Alejandra Arboleda, political communication and public opinion analysis consultant, this invitation is nothing more than “a desperate search” by Petro to build bridges to save his health reform. However, the real challenge will be – she explains – to reconcile the non-negotiables of the Government and the opposition, specifically a mixed system and a lifeline for the EPS.
“I don’t see a future for it. What the Democratic Center and Radical Change are looking for is to withdraw the reform, and this already has too much rejection,” he declared.
Aside from the simple exchange of messages on networks, the meeting took shape and it was the Minister of the Interior, Luis Fernando Velasco, who called Uribe on Wednesday night to make the appointment. The former president, accompanied by representative Andrés Forero – one of the most visible faces against the project – released a video this Thursday in which he revealed that the meeting will take place on Wednesday, November 22.
“We will express our reasons for opposition,” declared Uribe, hinting that several meetings will be necessary to achieve common points, while reiterating his condition that the initiative be paralyzed: “We hope that in the course of these conversations the procedure in Chamber.”
For his part, Forero specified that other parliamentarians – such as Julia Miranda (New Liberalism) – and actors from the system, including experts and union representatives, will be invited to the meetings. “The idea is that we clearly and frankly tell the president why we oppose his reform.”
Agreeing: the challenge
Although the invitation to sit down and talk between the Government and opponents of the reform went down well with most sectors, there is one unchangeable thing that could ruin everything: the idea of putting a stop to the project while the dialogues take place. Petro already hinted that he will not give in, while Congress insisted that this is a non-negotiable issue to be able to talk.
“I will only deal with Petro when it stops the reform process and stops extorting payments from the EPS. We must protect users who are assuming the absence of medications and delays in procedures on behalf of the Government,” said Senator Miguel Uribe. “The one who incited the violent protest, the one who disqualifies the opposition with adjectives and wants to destroy the health system by talking about a red wine?” Senator María Fernanda Cabal questioned in her turn.
Even from independent sectors that are part of the government bench there were complaints and the spirit of conciliation seems null. “I will not sit and drink red wine with those who are destroying the country. I have nothing to ask the mythomaniac, because I simply do not need anything to defend my nation,” declared Senator JotaPe Hernández (Green Alliance).
Representative Jennifer Pedraza (Dignidad) seemed to distance herself from the dialogue if it is carried out by Uribism, which puts more obstacles to an eventual agreement. “My criticism of the reform distances me from the Government, but also from parties like the Democratic Center, which defend the EPS and seek to overthrow the reform by breaking the quorum.”
In addition to the issue of bringing different parties and not just Uribismo into agreement regarding an issue as sensitive as health, Arboleda drew attention to another factor in the equation: time. “Sitting down to review point by point what they agree with and what they don’t to reach consensus can take a long time and that is not an ally of the Government,” he said.
These meetings are a significant first step, but it remains to be seen how far Petro will advance with Uribe and his group, as well as with the other sectors. The first point to resolve will be whether to pause the reform or continue its process while they talk, but they do not know who will give in.
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