Bogota A lot of things are supposed to change in Colombia from Sunday. It begins with the inauguration of Gustavo Petro and Vice President Francia Márquez. The change of baton from the outgoing right-wing government to the first left-wing government in the country’s history is only secondarily a state-supporting act this time. The focus should be on the people.
The assumption of office in Bogotá is planned as a big event with music, cultural events and, above all, the participation of social organizations. Days ago, representatives of civil society from all over Colombia made their way to the capital. Petro invited people he met during the election campaign. A fisherman and a servant accompany him when he takes office.
The message behind it is clear: Petro and Márquez do not govern from above, but together with the people. Sounds good in theory, but whether it works in the long term is questionable. But it is already clear that the historically strong civil society in Colombia will be involved in decision-making processes in the future, says political scientist Álvaro Duque.
The Afro-Colombian Vice President Márquez, who was an activist herself, will see to that. Duque emphasizes that it will give feminist associations, indigenous groups and Afro-Colombian organizations a say.
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In the last few days before the historic change, Colombia was in a relaxed mood. The open panic among the right-wingers from the election campaign has given way to resignation, while the anticipation of the people who are otherwise always in the shadows has remained.
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“I’m so incredibly proud and happy that we’re finally getting a government that sees us,” says Soranny Vargas. The 32-year-old lives in Ciudad Bolívar, a gigantic slum in southern Bogotá, where shacks and colorful houses cling to the slopes like honeycombs. “The state never cared about us,” says Vargas. That will change now. “And if not, then we demand it.”
The cabinet in Colombia is still partially vacant
How difficult it is to form a government is shown by the fact that up to two days before taking office, only eight of the 18 ministries were occupied. Among others, the interior and justice departments were still without a boss. Experts say that Petro must also fulfill promises made during the election campaign, oscillate the cabinet between experienced, newcomers, women, leftists and moderates.
In terms of content, however, the new government will completely realign politics. The focus is on the green conversion of the economy and a new concept for planned peace negotiations with the many armed groups. Poverty reduction is also to become a priority.
The task for the team Petro/Márquez will be difficult. The outgoing head of state Iván Duque is handing over a country that is literally on fire in many places.
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In many regions of Colombia, the war is still smoldering or has intensified, which was supposed to end with the comprehensive peace agreement with the left-wing FARC rebels at the end of 2016. The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) counts six armed conflicts between different actors and warns of a humanitarian catastrophe.
Demobilized guerrillas and activists such as trade unionists, indigenous representatives or fighters against illegal mining are murdered by the hundreds. In addition, the country’s most powerful crime syndicate is killing law enforcement officers. Contract killers from the “Clan del golfo” mainly kill young police officers from mopeds. At least 40 have already fallen victim to the so-called “Plan Pistola” this year.
But Petro wants to include the “Gulf Clan” in his “Total Peace” plan just as much as the remaining left-wing guerrillas ELN, the renegade FARC dissidents who have taken up arms again, or criminal gangs. The idea is to seek a simultaneous and comprehensive solution with all violent actors.
Gustavo Petro is faced with high national debt
What is special about this is that the people in the provinces are to be involved in the negotiations. After all, they suffer the most from the violence.
“Peace does not come about at the dialogue table between armed groups and the state, but only through the participation of citizens,” says Iván Cepeda. The longtime senator and Petro confidante is to forge the majorities for the concept in Congress. “We will pursue a radical pacifism,” says Cepeda.
The other focus will be the fight against poverty and hunger. But Petro is taking over a heavily indebted country with a critical budget deficit of 5.6 percent of gross domestic product. National debt will increase to a historic 56.5 percent of GDP by the end of the year. Tax revenues account for just 19 percent of GDP, well below the OECD average of 33 percent. So Petro’s room for maneuver is extremely small.
But Colombia is one of the most unequal countries in the world and has had the largest gap between rich and poor in Latin America since the pandemic. A comprehensive state reform was never implemented. More than 80 percent of private agricultural land is in the hands of one percent of the population.
Therefore, land and tax reform are high on the government’s agenda. In addition, the new head of state wants to completely transform the economy and reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
Coal and oil are not sustainable for the economy and harm the planet. Therefore, no more new oil fields are to be developed and no new production licenses are to be issued.
Considering that Petro only has four years to do all these things, it’s a very ambitious agenda. Political scientist Yann Basset believes that Petro will hardly be able to achieve what he has set out to do. “He has too many important players against him for that, like the entrepreneurs and the security forces,” emphasizes the professor at the Universidad del Rosario in Bogotá.
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