Carlos Fernando Galán (Bogotá, 46 years old) celebrates his first week as elected mayor of Bogotá. The election campaign ended with his victory last Sunday with 49% of the vote, a better result than expected, but his agenda remains hectic. During the week he visited the work on the first line of the Bogotá subway – the reason for his disagreements with President Gustavo Petro -, he met with Mayor Claudia López, with the commander of the municipal police and also with several of his rivals. Among them, Juan Daniel Oviedo, runner-up in the elections, a refreshing postcard in times of incessant polarization. When he officially set up the splice table on Thursday, he appeared for the first time in four months without the iconic red jacket he wore throughout the campaign. “It’s not always the same, there are five,” he says with a smile at the beginning of this interview, to which he appears in a white shirt and blazer, without a tie. His infectious calm remains intact. “There I have it, the last one I used is in the wash, but this jacket will still be there,” he adds.
Questions. How is the connection with Mayor Claudia López’s teams developing?
Answer. Well, it went smoothly. We talked very early on Monday about developing a methodology and introduced the teams on Thursday. I will coordinate the connection myself, I will be involved in it, but I will have a group of eight people who will help me due to the dimensions of the administration. Some women with experience, in Bogotá and nationally, with technical knowledge. I noticed a positive attitude from the mayor. I asked him to help us with some important and strategic issues for Bogotá, in addition to the reports provided for in the merger process. They have to do with the public transport system, the tariff stabilization fund, the landfill, with the subway – line 1, line 2 and also what is related to line 3 – the cables of Bogotá, the challenges in education, to ensure that the schools that are being built will have teachers… I see a process that will be warm, fluid and open and will help us a lot. This is positive for Bogotá.
Q He appointed eight women as heads of sectoral affairs at the node. Will they be in your closet?
R. Some of these we may not have talked about or defined. For now, we’re focused on making the best connection possible and having the best tools for decision-making. I will begin announcing the names in the next few weeks.
Q Is the message that the government team will have a female accent?
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R. Definitely. Not just because of a commitment I made during the campaign, but because I am convinced that we need the leadership of many women in Bogotá.
Q He had words of praise for all his opponents, this week meeting Juan Daniel Oviedo, Diego Molano, Jorge Luis Vargas and Rodrigo Lara. Are you planning a meeting with Gustavo Bolívar, President Petro’s candidate?
R. Yes, I hope to meet Gustavo Bolívar too. I said that I wanted to collect positive ideas from all candidates. I highlight things that he raised despite our differences, for example the issue of betting on a bilingual city. This is necessary, I also had this in my proposal, I would like to strengthen it and talk to him about the issues on which we were able to agree. In addition, I am aware that he has managed to connect some sectors of Bogotá’s young population and give them a vision.
Carlos Fernando Galán will take office as mayor of Bogotá on January 1st, replacing Claudia López. Chelo Camacho
Q Is his victory a chance to reclaim politics beyond outsiders and anti-politicians? Do you define yourself as a politician?
R. I think we need to give politics meaning again. It is an extraordinary tool. No matter how many cases we have experienced in the world and in our country, we have rejected it as a tool. And it’s a mistake. A distinction must be made between whether politics is done well, builds consensus, has the ability to make decisions based on sound information, which also has the ability to recognize mistakes and highlight successes in others… Bogotá needs that. Part of the problem we have is that we haven’t had the opportunity to see such policies in our city. We make it a battlefield and not a scenario for seeking consensus and dialogue. Our entry into government is an expression of respect for this type of politics.
Q Did the election campaign leave open wounds for President Petro?
R. There have been obvious, public difficulties, we have said it, we cannot deny that this is due to the attitude that the Government has taken, particularly in recent weeks. We have different views on what needs to be done in our city and what needs to be done to address security challenges. But I have a responsibility to sit down at the table and work with the government and not think about the wounds of the election campaign, but rather about how we can work and communicate with the national government. I’m ready to do it.
Q. Do you feel a counterweight from the President of the Republic?
R. No, I think it is the democratic expression that citizens wanted to put on the table and that the country must build together. There are things you like about what the president has done, and there are things you don’t. In providing support, citizens have taken into account concerns about projects affecting Bogotá, such as the subway. And I have to take that into account, I have the mandate of the citizens to defend the institutions of Bogotá.
Q What will be your relationship with Jorge Rey, the elected governor of Cundinamarca, whom you have denounced in the past?
R. Respect for what the decision of the people of Cundinamarca to elect him means. I will have a dialogue with him without a doubt, it is my responsibility. Furthermore, I respect the institutions and the decisions that the judiciary has made in these cases. We have to promote the metropolitan region. This will be one of the most important bets because it also touches on infrastructure, transport, security, food security and economic issues.
Q. Does his victory once again position the beleaguered political center as an option for power in Colombia?
R. I think it shows that we can unite, starting from a political sector that is not a lukewarm sector that is unable to take a stand. This, as you saw in the campaign, gathers positive ideas from the center-right and center-left and builds from there.
Carlos Fernando Galán was elected mayor of Bogotá in his third candidacy. Chelo Camacho
Q. How will the hope of Bogota’s residents be restored, as proposed?
R. With multiple elements. One is to speak truthfully, be transparent, and tell people what they can and cannot do. It is very important to demonstrate the ability to reach agreements, overcome disputes and deliver quick results where possible. I’ll focus on that. So that citizens feel that these agreements make a difference, that they represent real changes in public policy and have a direct impact on people’s quality of life.
Q In his election night speech, he mentioned security, mobility – through the subway – and the fight against hunger. Are these the three biggest challenges of your mandate?
R. These are the axes that consist of many components and are connected to each other. For example, the issue of economic activity in Bogotá, job creation and the relationship with the private sector will play a role on all three fronts. Security will provide us with a conducive environment for investment and economic activity. Obviously, improving infrastructure and working to get this city moving will be crucial. And the fight against hunger and poverty. With the mayor, we looked at the impact of the pandemic and the city has not yet recovered, it has not returned to pre-pandemic levels in terms of poverty. This requires shocking policies but also a long-term vision.
Q. What would you say would be the great legacy of your mayoralty?
R. The most important legacy I want is for people to say that faith in our government has been restored to the city. That processes were initiated that led to the solution of the problems, but also through the restoration of lost trust.
Q He placed great emphasis on recognizing the successes of others, something other leaders have done well. What did Claudia López do well?
R. The mayor made the right decision when he recognized a structural problem in our society, namely the lack of recognition of what unpaid care work means in our city. We have 1,200,000 women in Bogotá doing unpaid care work. The district care system recognizes this and is taking measures to confront what it means and to overcome the barriers it creates to the development of the life project of women in Bogotá. I like it, it’s a success, we talked about it at the junction and we will focus on strengthening and expanding it.
Q. And what did Gustavo Petro do well as President of Colombia?
R. It’s a little more difficult, I admit. I think that President Petro knew how to interpret an intention for change, but he had great difficulty translating it into concrete action. It’s disappointing. I appreciate the President’s concern for the social problems of this country. I agree that it is a country with serious problems of inequality and poverty, but I must say that its formula for dealing with these problems is wrong. It is good at diagnosing but bad at prescribing.
Carlos Fernando Galán, elected mayor of Bogotá last Sunday, during the interview with EL PAÍS.Chelo Camacho
Q You made it clear during the election campaign that you were asking for the vote for you, for Carlos Fernando Galán. After your win, do you feel free to talk more about your father figure? In his speech he said that he felt responsible towards Luis Carlos Galán.
R. I feel it because I am aware of the frustration that his death, his assassination, meant for many Colombians. And that many lived these 34 years in the hope that these ideas could one day rule. These ideas will always inspire me; I realize that the country and the city have changed a lot, but there are fundamental elements of what it means to do politics, the way you do politics, that will always be there. And they obviously generate in me a very high level of commitment, help, support, inspiration, but also an immense weight because the expectations are very high. I have to commit to staying current and I will do that every second.
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