This Sunday, May 29, the presidential elections will be held in Colombia and Iván Duque's successor will be announced.
Gustavo Francisco Petro Urrego, from the Historical Pact alliance and favorite to win these elections, according to polls, has raised the need for profound reforms in various fields. Next, we review his five main proposals that he would implement if he reached Casa Nariño this time, after having tried twice.
1. Change of the economic model
Petro has proposed a radical change in the economic model that drives agricultural production. In this sense, it plans to launch an agrarian reform that attacks inequality in ownership and use of land, guaranteeing the right to land of rural families, with women as a priority, and the formalization of property, among other measures. His goal is to discourage large estates.
The candidate for the Presidency of Colombia has affirmed in his declarations that his Government is not going to expropriate, but to democratize. "I have never uttered the word expropriation," he said on March 15 in one of his main debates. In fact, Petro, and his vice-presidential formula, Francia Márquez, signed a public document in April in which they promised not to expropriate "anyone or anyone."
2. Care of the territory
The candidate for the Presidency of Colombia has also presented a program to protect ecosystems and natural resources, with an expanded mention of water. Among other measures, an energy transition from the matrix dependent on oil and coal to renewable energies has been considered.
His government also seeks to put an end to extractivism, will prohibit the exploration and exploitation of unconventional deposits, and will stop pilot fracking projects and the development of offshore deposits, while not granting new licenses for hydrocarbon exploration or allowing large-scale mining to open sky.
3.Promote equality of women
Gustavo Petro plans to increase the political participation of women; so that they occupy 50% of all public positions at all levels and branches of power and that there is a Ministry of Equality in charge of articulating policies related to gender.
It has proposed the creation of a National Care System that seeks to recognize and reduce the burden of care tasks on women. The time dedicated to care will be recognized as work and rewarded.
Likewise, it proposes that women have priority access to public higher education, credit, and the distribution and formalization of land ownership, while at the same time guaranteeing a basic minimum income above the poverty line "to protect and empower women heads of households.
The programs offered by Petro also point to the fight against violence, through the creation of a "national early warning system" to combat femicides. Moreover, he intends to abide by the decision of the Constitutional Court to decriminalize abortion.
4. Changes in the security forces
Petro has also proposed changes in the security forces and moving towards the "demilitarization of social life", under the theory that civil authorities should prevail over military ones. Therefore, military service will no longer be compulsory and conscientious objection will be respected.
On the other hand, all members of the Colombian Armed Forces will have access to higher education and more training in areas such as human rights and adjustments in the mechanisms to advance in the career, salary and pension systems. In addition, the military criminal courts are eliminated and the investigative processes in the military justice system are strengthened.
Likewise, he has proposed the dismantling of Esmad (the Mobile Riot Squad), which has been criticized for its violent and abusive actions.
The favorite of the votes says that he plans to provide guarantees for the exercise of the rights to freedom of expression, mobilization and social protest.
5. Tax reform
Petro has defended a tax reform that focuses on dividends: it will be mandatory to declare them and they will always have to pay taxes. In this sense, he has explained that the largest load would be oriented "on the 4000 largest fortunes in Colombia." Within this set, they will not point to productive companies, but to unproductive assets, mentioning dividends and transfers abroad, the presidential candidate has detailed
Also, it has proposed that no one who receives resources from the State can have accounts in countries known as “tax havens”. The objective is for the country's fiscal space to increase some 5,5 points of gross domestic product (GDP) per year through increased collection, but also through the dismantling of tax benefits that according to Petro are not fair and policies against evasion.
