Bogotá.- Gustavo Petro, Colombia’s candidate for President of the Historic Pact, and Francia Márquez, Formula Vice-President, today registered their candidacy for Head of State in the National Civil Registry.
Petro and Márquez were joined by hundreds of supporters, relatives and members of this left-wing coalition’s current and new bench in the Republic’s Congress.
“The task is just beginning. We want to celebrate on May 29 that we have our President, Gustavo Petro Urrego.
And of course, for the first time, we will have a woman representing the regions, the territories, the historically excluded and oppressed voices. This task will not be easy, but it will not be impossible either,” said Francia Márquez.
The Pact’s presidential candidates pointed out that this is the first day of a campaign that promises to actually change Colombia’s history.
“We are not here to leave things as they are,” stressed the leader of this coalition that brings together alternative, progressive and left forces in Colombia.
During the event, France presented Petro with a Guadua pen (a plant from the bamboo family) to sign the candidacy, as a symbolic act representing the commitment of the presidential campaign and a subsequent government to writing with the country’s most marginalized communities The new history of Colombia.
“Delivering on behalf of the victims, the children, the youth, the social leaders, the workers, the women in their diversity, the LGBTIQ+ population, the Afro descendants, the Raizal and Palenquero peoples, nature and the big house we this pen.
So that together we can write a new history for Colombia,” said the vice-presidential candidate.
Petro announced that in case of reaching the Casa de Nariño, the possession would be signed with the same pen.
«This ‘pen’ of Guadua, symbol of knowledge, undoubtedly of knowledge, symbol of life, knowledge of peace, how far is the distance between a gun and a ‘pen’ is the symbol of change in Colombia.
After this act, Petro and France began the presidential campaign towards the first round, where they hope to get the necessary votes for a forced election and that according to their supporters, a second round is not needed.
The election will take place on May 29 and will elect the country’s president and vice-president for the period 2022-2026.
The winning formula must receive half plus one of the total valid votes, otherwise a second round between the two candidates with the highest number of votes will take place on June 19, 2022 and whoever receives the victory will govern for a period of four years without the right to re-election.