Although December is still a week away, the spirit of Christmas has flooded the entire city. And the joy of this season is seen in unprecedented Christmas lighting, in a series of collective activities in all settings and in a business that lives this season intensely. Even the cabins of the Megacable, which transport an average of 6,000 passengers daily, have been decorated with Christmas motifs. In this case, one of the reindeer that drives the sleigh in which Santa Claus delivers Christmas gifts.
All with the U
Everything seems to indicate that the People’s Union Party (Partido de la U) is the fashionable girlfriend: everyone wants it. At least this is how we conclude with the number of candidates who intend to be part of the U’s list of candidates for the House of Representatives. We are going in parts: in their own right, the deputy Juan Carlos Valencia and the councilor of Pereira, Carlos Mario Gil, will be there. It is assumed that Mayor Mauricio Salazar and the Social Manager will set a quota and she is Franyela Bermúdez, who is in the hearts of both. And the former conservative congressman Juan Carlos Rivera intends to be part of that list; the former mayor of Dosquebradas, Diego Ramos, and a son of former governor Víctor Manuel Tamayo, possibly Sebastián Tamayo, current director of Sisbén.
Few are chosen
The problem is that the list can only be made up of four candidates and there are six candidates on the list. Furthermore, on this occasion, a woman must necessarily go, who will surely be Franyela. So if Juan Carlos Valencia and Carlos Mario are fixed, there is only one place left that Ramos, Rivera and one of the Tamayos would compete for. Who is going to be left out? That is a question still unanswered. But the truth is that with that list the U Party is betting on two of the four seats in the Chamber. And who will lose it? Will it be the liberals? Will it be the green ones? In March 2026 we will know.
Ramos, go ahead
It is also true that former mayor Diego Ramos seems to have gotten ahead of everyone. At least that’s how it can be deduced when seeing some photos that circulated widely this week where Ramos is seen in Cali posing next to the current governor of Valle del Cauca and natural head of the U Party, Dilián Francisca Toro, and the senator , Norma Hurtado. Most likely the dialogue was framed in the very possible entry of the former mayor of Dosquebradas to the U, but first he must resign from his political party, the conservative one, which has endorsed his two candidacies for that position.
And Tatiana what?
To all of these, nothing has been known about the aspirations of the current councilor and former candidate for Mayor of Dosquebradas, Tatiana López Saldarriaga, who had put her name forward for the House of Representatives for the U Party, which endorsed in the last elections. The 22,905 votes she achieved in the race for Mayor guaranteed her the opposition seat in the Municipal Council, but at the same time encouraged her to think about the Chamber. They say, in some political rumors, that this possibility has been ruled out and that Tatiana is already thinking about the next elections for Mayor of her municipality.
CD and MIRA
Other parties that aim to keep a seat in the House of Representatives are running on the sides of the possible coalition between the Democratic Center and the MIRA political movement. In the last elections for Congress, representative Gabriel Jaime Vallejo failed in his attempt to retain his seat, while the MIRA did not obtain a seat either. The Uribista party reached 28,910 votes, while the MIRA in coalition with Colombia Justa y Libres added 34,092, but both were left out of the distribution of seats. Could it be that now the flute is ringing for a CD-MIRA alliance?
Reds and Alternatives
It must be remembered that in those elections the Liberal Party capitalized on 82,772 votes that earned it two seats, while the Alternative movements added 60,737 to win the remaining two. Now, without Diego Patiño on stage for the Chamber (since he will aspire to the Senate) it is not known if it will be enough for liberalism to maintain the two seats, although the political work has been intense. And on the alternative sides, for Carolina Giraldo and Alejandro García, their actions in Congress and in politics have been very fortunate, to the point that both are recognized among the best
And conservatism?
Of whom nothing is known is the projections of conservatism that in the last elections for the Chamber were left out of the distribution of seats. And facing the 2026 elections, with the eminent departures of the current secretary of Commission II of the Chamber, Juan Carlos Rivera, and the former mayor of Dosquebradas, Diego Ramos, it is electorally very decimated. Much more so if you take into account that former governor Víctor Manuel Tamayo also takes a piece of the party. But House Merheg, which is the one in charge of the blue hosts, has still said nothing to all of these. Surely in this community something must be cooking to recover the seat in the Chamber and maintain the one that Samy Merheg currently holds in the Senate. In the last elections, the blues were third in the race for the Chamber with 41,021 votes, while Merheg obtained 16,980 here for the Senate, while outside of Risaralda it reached 80,539 for a total of 97,519.
The cost of the holidays
According to information circulating on social networks, it is stated that the Progress Festival in Dosquebradas this year will have a cost of $2,618 million. The programming, with which the 52 years of the founding of the municipality will be commemorated, is scheduled from November 29 to December 16. The information in this regard indicates that of that amount, the Ministry of Culture, Recreation and Sports will contribute $1,503 million, the Secretary of Administrative Affairs $797 million, while the Mixed Fund for Ethnoculture and Social Development and the Secretary of Government will provide smaller amounts. There will be more than 15 days of events that will have their central date on December 6 when Dosquebradas will carry out the commemorative events of its foundation and the next day the Progress Parade will take place with a route of 4.2 kilometers.
Viaduct, birthday
Last Tuesday, November 19, a very important event went unnoticed: the 27th birthday of the César Gaviria Trujillo Viaduct that connects Pereira and Dosquebradas. This imposing work, which is already falling short of traffic on this route, was inaugurated on November 19, 1997 by the then president Ernesto Samper, with the Governor of Risaralda, Diego Patiño, and the mayors of Pereira, Juan Manuel Arango, and of Dosquebradas, Germán Aguirre. The viaduct, whose construction took three years, has a length of 704 meters, a height of 105 meters and a weight of 2,850 tons.
mournful anniversary
Another anniversary, but this one painful, corresponds to an earthquake that shook the region 45 years ago. On November 23, 1979, an earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale left 50 people dead and 500 injured in the Eje Cafetero region. The earthquake, which was felt in 17 departments, caused a tragic toll of victims and great damage in Pereira, especially in the strip corresponding to the route of the Egoyá collector. On that occasion, several churches and headquarters of official entities were seriously affected, such as the Municipal Public Companies that operated on 16th Street and 10th Street.
They ask for changes
According to the most recent Polymetric Survey of Figures and Concepts, 38% of Colombians consulted affirm that they will vote for a change in the Presidency, 33% would vote for someone who represents an intermediate vision, 21% for Petrism and 8% for none. However, the most particular thing is that 68% of those surveyed stated that they had not heard nor did they know who the candidates were in the possible race for the Presidency. In other words, there is still a long way to go and there is still a lot of fabric to cut, so that no one - neither the right, nor the left, nor the center – can claim victory. Above all, because the survey was carried out only in the urban area of four cities: Bogotá, Medellín, Cali and Barranquilla.
There is no right
Numerous complaints have reached our editorial office from public sector contractors who complain about the conditions to which professional services contractors are subjected in certain offices. They assure that they present their activity reports very punctually, accompanied by the parafiscal payment forms, but the corresponding payments take 15, 20 and even 30 days. And the most painful thing is that those who must expedite the processing of these documents are regular employees who receive their salaries on time.
There is no right for this type of situation to occur to the detriment of those who, judiciously, work dedicatedly and expect their remuneration to arrive on time to be able to fulfill pending obligations.
How are political candidates addressing the need for increased women’s representation in the upcoming elections?
He anniversary of the earthquake is a somber reminder of the region’s vulnerability to natural disasters and highlights the importance of preparedness and resilience in the face of such events. Commemorative activities or discussions about improving disaster response mechanisms could be beneficial as the community reflects on this tragic event.
In terms of the ongoing political landscape, the competition among various candidates is heating up as the 2026 elections approach, with different parties strategizing about their potential alliances and candidate selections. The need for inclusivity, especially regarding women’s representation on ballots, is also coming to the forefront. The dynamics within each party, particularly with established names like Diego Ramos and emerging figures like Sebastián Tamayo and Tatiana López, could significantly shape the electoral outcome.
As the municipalities prepare for events like the Progress Festival in Dosquebradas, the allocation of substantial financial resources underscores the importance of cultural celebrations in fostering community spirit, despite any economic debates that such expenses might incite. The historical reference embodied by the César Gaviria Trujillo Viaduct is also essential, not just as a transportation artery, but as a symbol of the region’s development and the challenges it faces with growing traffic demands.
the next few years will be critical for both political developments and community events in shaping the identity and future of Pereira and Dosquebradas.