Without Fajardo, without Rodolfo and without Fico: this was the presidential debate at the Universidad Externado de Colombia

In the first presidential debate organized by the University of Colombia, participating candidates Ingrid Betancourt of the Green Oxygen party; Enrique Gómez of the National Salvation Movement; Gustavo Petro of the Historical Pact; Luis Pérez of the Piensa en Grande movement and J John Milton Rodríguez from Colombia Justa Libres; it had three thematic axes: youth agenda, drugs and gender equity.

For his part, candidate Luis Pérez said: “I want to continue contributing to the country. Colombia is tired of failure and we have to come up with bold proposals, starting with young people, for this country to transform itself. Colombia is calling for a major education reform.”

In the first instance, the issue of the youth agenda was discussed, the question that the senator had was, “taking into account the vulnerable situation of social and environmental leaders in the country, what are your proposals to ensure their protection?”

With regard to drugs, the promotion of leaf cultivation to enhance pharmaceutical use and other licit derivatives, Petro explained, “I would start with cannabis. We have a huge industrialized export opportunity that must be seized in Colombia. Cannabis may even be a substitute economy for coca leaf. We must begin with an agrarian reform that allows the peasantry to own land and productive processes. We promote cannabis production and replace crops without fumigation and repression.”

Candidate Enrique Gómez, for his part, indicated that: “The war on drugs has destroyed the environment and has a society full of violence. Some such as cannabis do have a contribution to medicine, but I don't know that coca has that same potency l”.

Finally, to the thematic axis of gender equity, the question Petro had was “Would I take into account the identification of non-binary gender or other gender that does not correspond to male or female for the purpose of public records? and/or would you accept marriage or de facto marital union between polyamorous families?”

Ingrid said on gender equity: “The first thing we are going to do is open up the possibility of lists that are promoted in Congress to have greater participation of women. Women, in politics, do not receive equal resources.”

Before the end of the debate, a space was opened where the different candidates gave their opinion about their peers. In one of the speeches, Gustavo Petro admired the candidate Ingrid “I saw that photo of the chains and I have to confess that I cried because from my revolutionary perspective, chaining a person is the complete opposite of what I could understand to a transformation of Colombia, because I saw his face and he was a friend in chains. Ingrid is a symbol of resistance, and Colombia needs it.”

Ingrid Betancourt responded not only to the debate but to Petro for his words: “To thank all of you for your chivalry, to Gustavo, it touched my soul, I know it is yes and it is real. I want to tell you that even though we've been away, and that I've been against all the economic proposals you've made. It seems to me that there is one that we share, and that is the need to have a tax on productive land.”

KEEP READING: