Hernández vs Petro: These are the 7 main proposals of the candidates for the Presidency of Colombia

the leftist Gustavo Petro and the populist Rodolfo Hernandez will dispute this Sunday the Presidency of Colombia with two divergent country projects but in which they coincide on some points such as no to “fracking”, respect for the decriminalization of abortion or the reestablishment of relations with Venezuela.

Little was known about the proposals of Hernandezformer mayor of Bucaramanga who has campaigned with a single slogan of fighting corruption, although in recent weeks he has tried to show some in the medium where he feels most comfortable, social networks.

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For its part, Petro He has left behind some of his most radical proposals and put other controversies on the agenda, such as a remodeling of the pension system or the decarbonization of the country.

Here are some of the proposals of the candidates of the ballot:

1. Corruption

Hernandeza multi-millionaire construction businessman, has repeated countless times that he is going to “end corruption”, and to do so he proposes “replacing those who have been put in previous governments by efficient and non-corrupt officials” and “reducing corruption in the hiring processes”.

It also raises the flag of austerity, promising to reduce the size of the State, eliminating embassies, stopping using the presidential plane and eliminating ministries and advisers.

For its part, Petro proposes the creation of an “international and independent commission of judicial investigation” that deals with “the biggest crimes in impunity in the matter of corruption” and also integrate the Attorney General’s Office (Public Ministry) in the Prosecutor’s Office, creating an Anticorruption division, which which is difficult to achieve without amending the Constitution.

2. Environment

In the environmental field, “fracking” has taken over the speeches in social networks of both candidates, with a firm opposition from Petro and an oscillation in the approach of the engineer Hernandezthat although at first he was against it, later he assured that he had to wait for the “studies” to make a firm decision.

The environmental measures included in both programs are similar, with recognition of the climate problem, and propose promoting energy alternatives to put aside the extractivist model.

They also promise to ratify and comply with national and international treaties, although in the case of Petro the proposals are broader and more developed than those of Hernández, who limits himself to listing objectives without concrete measures.

3. Gender and equality

Gender policies are the first point in Petro’s program, which promised to create the Ministry of Equality that his running mate, Francia Márquez, would lead, where he assures that women would occupy “at least 50% of all public positions.” at all levels and branches of power.”

It also proposes the creation of a National Care System that rewards, reduces and redistributes feminized care work, as well as prevention and awareness against sexist violence.

Feminism has been the stone in the shoe of Hernandez, which has had several macho outbursts. Through tweets, he has promised to implement existing laws to guarantee equal pay, create loans with low interest rates for female entrepreneurs or a comprehensive system for women. He also promises that half of his government will be women.

4. Education and health

The two applicants value a cancellation of the debt of the students of Icetex, the body that gives scholarships to university students, but beyond that, Hernández’s proposals are in line with teaching trades requested by companies and promoting entrepreneurship, while those of Petro seek to guarantee free and quality public education.

Facing health, Petro promises that this fundamental right will be guaranteed “through a single, public, universal, preventive and predictive, participatory, decentralized and intercultural system, which does not depend on the ability to pay”, since it currently depends on service providers. private.

Hernández also follows this line by proposing to recover “the public hospital network” and a new “model of family medicine, focused on the need and responsibility of the patient.”

5. Drugs and drug trafficking

Both candidates are in favor of the legalization of medical and recreational marijuana and Hernandez suggested a week ago to give free drugs to all addicts, which could be critical as a health measure.

“We will move from the failed war on drugs to a comprehensive process of replacing economies and lands in favor of a productive economy that dignifies rural populations and protects nature,” he proposes. Petro on illicit crops.

6. Poverty reduction

Another of Hernández’s flags, along with austerity, has been the fight against poverty, for which he proposes to unify more than 20 subsidies aimed at the poorest and unite them in a “Basic Income”, and a national rural housing program, since he himself made a fortune building social housing.

Petro It is based on the empowerment of women heads of households with a basic minimum income, which it calls “vital income”, and which would also apply to the elderly without a pension and progressively to other vulnerable populations, as well as a tax reform that taxes the richest .

7. Economy

The left-wing candidate wants to move “from an extractivist economy to a productive economy” and therefore proposes not giving new licenses for hydrocarbon exploration and prohibiting large-scale open-pit mining, in addition to leaving behind the “unproductive large estate”.

Hernández prefers to reduce VAT from 19% to 10% and does not want to get involved in a tax reform, despite the fact that Colombia needs to increase collection.

To combat inflation, which is one of the country’s main short-term economic challenges, Petro it has proposed increasing national food production to lower their prices and give more inputs to agriculture; Hernández also chooses to increase internal production.

Source: Elcomercio

Ronald Payne

I, Ronald Payne, am a journalist and author who dedicated his life to telling the stories that need to be said. I have over 7 years of experience as a reporter and editor, covering everything from politics to business to crime.