It is Gustavo Petro, candidate for President of the Historic Pact, it is his turn to be in El País de los Jovenes, a place where he spoke with students and youth leaders in the country.
Behind the scenes of The Land of Youth
Like the previous contestants who arrived at the Caracol Television facilities, Gustavo Petro took the respective selfie with the boys and was able to deal with them in a less formal way.
What did Gustavo Petro say about close associates being investigated?
In the first question, a student from Cali asked the candidate about some of his closest associates and the investigation being conducted by the judiciary.
The presidential candidate pointed out that neither she nor he had been convicted by the judiciary. He also pointed out that the day there is evidence of someone committing a case of corruption in the Historic Pact, he will be the first to request their departure.
Public demonstrations and protests
A young woman from the Caribbean reminded Gustavo Petro that a year had passed since the nationwide strike and mentioned the number of people injured by the security forces. He asked him if he would commit to respecting young people’s right to take to the streets to protest if he were president.
The senator assured that “the next president of Colombia will not order the murder of Colombian youth”.
La Guajira and its problems
The exploitation of coal is one of the main sources of income for this department; For the former mayor of Bogotá, however, this is the sole interest of those in power who have neglected the living conditions of their citizens.
Gustavo Petro reiterates that he intends to transform this area energetically with clean and renewable energies controlled by the residents of La Guajira, including the Wayú indigenous community.
Afro power and strengthening the Pacific region
Responding on how he would guarantee the rights of Afro communities, Gustavo Petro explained that these communities were excluded and underlined the importance of the Pacific Coast becoming a region and that this area be the gateway to Colombia and not the hinterland.
He praised its potential and suggested connecting the key points in this area of the country to give it more autonomy and more economic opportunities.
What to do with femicides?
Petro assured that in a deeply patriarchal society, the rise of women’s power creates fears. He pointed out that there is a “fear” of women’s autonomy that leads to their assassination.
The candidate said he would reform both society and the penal system to provide more institutional support to Colombian women and reduce the risk of being killed simply for being women.
Watch the complete chapter of El País de los Jovenes with Gustavo Petro here.