Former President Álvaro Uribe responded to the messages that President Gustavo Petro revealed on his social networks this Wednesday, Might 22. In them, the president stated that Uribe ought to be taught to speak about peace and that inciting the overthrow of the federal government is a criminal offense.
Petro’s response got here after former President Álvaro Vélez, in a chat on the College of La Sabana, spoke concerning the present state of the armed forces, that are engulfed by a safety disaster within the nation. Based on the previous president, he has orders from the nationwide authorities to “stay nonetheless.”
Because of this, Uribe as soon as once more referred to the difficulty and responded to Petro with concrete info. After all, at first he stated that he wouldn’t be intimidated by the president’s statements as a result of he’s solely transmitting the message of concern that every one Colombians are feeling given the rising battle within the nation.
“They threaten us with jail, however they won’t silence us. In my case they’ve already achieved it (jail) and thru totally different means. However we should search a protected and simply nation.
At an EAFIT College occasion in Medellín, Uribe stated he needed to reply on to Petro for the articles he wrote on his social networks as a result of it can’t be denied that Colombia is dropping the battle in opposition to felony gangs and guerrilla teams.
“I used to be fallacious after I talked concerning the hazard of Castro-Chavismo, however watch out as a result of day-after-day they grow to be extra comparable. Cease threatening the opposition like Hugo Chavez did,” he stated.
He added: “I’ve to say to President Petro: please, we’d like safety. “Don’t cease the armed forces from defending Colombians, don’t cease them from following the structure.”
Former President Uribe stated that his place on safety within the nation has at all times been the identical and that he’s at present very involved about residents’ complaints as there’s a basic feeling all through the nation that public order has gone uncontrolled.
Uribe stated there are various complaints within the Caquetá division as a result of in keeping with him the military has been weakened however on the identical time the peasant guards are being strengthened.
“In different places they are saying that the indigenous guards are being strengthened. The retailers say that they’re extorted nearly everywhere in the nation, the identical is finished with shopkeepers, the farmers are extorted. They name the military they usually reply that they won’t allow them to come,” he reiterated.
In a five-minute speech on the topic, the previous president identified that it’s not doable for a authorities to stop public forces from doing their job, particularly when Colombians have fixed complaints concerning the presence of armed teams.
“Can the federal government stop the general public forces from finishing up their constitutional mission of defending residents? No, it can not. The Structure says the general public forces should shield residents.
Alvaro Uribe and Gustavo Petro. | Picture: Semana, Presidency
He additionally launched harsh criticism in opposition to Petro since in latest days he instructed Cali that one other social outbreak may happen if his social reforms weren’t permitted within the Congress of the Republic.
“Selling reforms with bribed Congressmen and on the identical time threatening the nation by saying that social outbreaks are coming again is not sensible. The federal government itself promotes this and it might coincide with the mass motion they need to promote with the ELN and the peace course of. “This may increasingly allow the ELN to place strain on the Constituent Meeting with out handing over weapons,” he indicated.
Because of this, he publicly requested the place Petro needed to take the nation as there was ample proof that violence and insecurity had been uncontrolled, public forces had been weak and the FARC had grow to be more and more robust.
“That is very severe, residents can’t be left unsafe. Many law enforcement officials have been murdered and massacres have occurred so the necessity for safety is seen with disdain.
The previous president additionally stated that “it can’t be that on the one hand the federal government is selling an in the end armed battle, and however the armed forces need to chorus from defending the Colombian folks.”
And he assured that the safety of the Colombian folks “should prevail within the occasion of violence on the a part of the establishments, whether or not the President of the Republic needs it or not.”