Left-wing deputies show Iván Duque portraits of social leaders killed by violence in Colombia. /
The deputies boo Duque at his farewell and offer the president-elect, Gustavo Petro, the necessary support to undertake reforms
A turbulent farewell received the outgoing president of Colombia, Iván Duque, in what was his last speech before Congress. The boos and insults during the ceremony with which the legislature began, unusual for the first time the left had the leading voice, summed up the tensions of these last four years. The new cycle, with the Senate and the House of Representatives in the hands of the progressive forces and the conservatives converted into opposition, began this Thursday with the promise of “change” and the “great reforms” that Gustavo Petro must undertake to from next August 7, when he assumes the head of state.
Although the Historical Pact, the coalition of the president-elect did not achieve a sufficient majority to legislate in the last elections, the alliances it has forged in recent weeks with progressive and centrist forces will allow it to do so comfortably. Specifically, in the Congress installed this Thursday, Petro will enjoy the support of 78 of the 108 senators, and 136 of the 186 representatives to the Chamber to carry out his controversial tax and agrarian reform.
“Social justice can be done in the countryside, without expropriations or prejudice,” was one of the darts launched by Duque during his speech to his successor. The message immediately sparked angry protests that led the Senate executive board to call for order in the Elliptical Hall of the Capitol. But the spirits were already sufficiently heated in the leftist caucus, which for several seconds forced the interruption of the ceremony by getting up from their seats and shouting in unison “liar” at the president when he exempted his government from any responsibility in the murders of social leaders, who this year alone already exceed one hundred.
A difficult mandate
“Drug trafficking, coca crops, corruption and illegal armed groups have been the true enemies and those to blame for the murders of our social leaders,” said Duque, adding that his Executive provided “more than 88% guarantees to his protection.” Likewise, in his balance, he highlighted the programs to face the Covid-19 pandemic, and cited achievements in terms of health coverage and education, such as the “free public university.” And all this, he insisted, despite the “stormy storms” that he faced in his presidency due to the fierce opposition of the left.
As a counterpoint, Roy Barreras, the representative of the Historical Pact and an ally of Petro who has taken office as president of the Senate, pointed out that the left is now facing a “unique opportunity” to respond to the demands of the population. “This will be the Congress of change. Here the great reforms that the country has waited for decades will be carried out. Colombians expect a lot from us », he assured. In the same way, he urged the armed groups to abandon violence, respect the lives of civilians and social leaders.
In the absence of Petro taking office in just over two weeks, it is already known that in addition to a favorable Congress, he has great popular support. The latest polls show that his popularity is on the rise, with 64% approval after the elections on June 19. This is the highest percentage of a head of state since 2005.
Thirty years since Pablo Escobar’s escape from his luxurious prison
The formation of the new Congress coincided with the thirtieth anniversary of one of the most embarrassing episodes in the history of Colombia. A date that was not mentioned in the parliamentary arc but was very present as a bitter memory of the enormous power that Pablo Escobar Gaviria, the head of the Medellín Cartel, exercised in the country.
On June 21, 1992, the feared drug trafficker shocked the world by his escape from La Catedral, the luxurious prison that he himself had built on a mountain near Medellín. At 11:20 p.m., when a thick fog clouded the streetlights and light bulbs in the prison, the capo escaped from his “luxury hotel” because he knew that the Colombian government was going to change his place of detention when they verified that he was still offending Not in vain, according to the writer Rafael Ballén, author of ‘Pablo Escobar’s escape’ (Icono editorial) in an interview with Efe, the powerful drug trafficker from prison continued to direct his criminal empire: he assassinated his enemies, received politicians , artists, beauty queens and even soccer players.
The prison, tailored to his needs and equipped with luxurious rooms, game rooms, a gym, a natural waterfall and even a soccer field, became his home for 405 days. There he ended up when he decided to surrender to Justice on June 19, 1991 in exchange for the Executive revoking an extradition treaty with the United States.