:quality(75)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/elcomercio/VTGKGA4RDZH7NBHPGUNWA7HONM.webp "Controversy in Colombia over the comparison of a gesture between the incoming and outgoing vice president | VIDEO")
The transition started in Colombia between the government of Iván Duque, which is ending, and the new administration of the leftist Gustavo Petro, who won the last elections, the controversy was opened in that country for a moment recorded in the meeting of the vice presidents. It was the comparison in a gesture with the maids that the outgoing woman had, Martha Lucia Ramirezwith respect to the incoming France Marquezwhich sparked criticism.
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In these “splicing tasks” of the two administrations, the women met to discuss different issues related to the daily of the Executive Power. It was during that date that Ramirez also introduced him to Marquez to the staff of the Casa de Nariño -which is the official residence- and when it was the maids’ turn, the incoming vice president shook hands with each of them, while the ledge stayed to one side, touched his hair, glanced sideways and continued walking. Even some users of social networks said that in his attitude there was contempt and that Ramírez showed himself hesitant and nervous.
These two ways of approaching the staff of the house exploded the comments on social networks, which deposed the deputy president who will leave her place to Marquezwho has already marked a milestone by becoming the first Afro-descendant woman elected to occupy the vice presidency in Colombia. In Latin America she is the second, after the Costa Rican Epsy Campbell.
Because the comments against him kept piling up, Ramírez had to go out to clarify his position and he did it through his official Twitter account. “Sowing hate is the favorite sport of some. Mine is to work with love for Colombia and for those who work with me”, began the conservative politician that makes up the Colombian Democratic Center party.
“The new vice president will have the opportunity to get to know each of the girls who accompany us in the office better and hug them as I did before,” he said. Ramirezwhich in this way sought to put an end to the issue.
Sowing hatred is the favorite sport of some. Mine is to work with love for Colombia and for those who work with me. The new Vice President will now have the opportunity to get to know each of the girls who accompany us in the office better and embrace them as I did before. https://t.co/16Q9iIGPYh
– Marta Lucía Ramírez (@mluciaramirez) June 25, 2022
His followers on social networks, meanwhile, also published the full video of the tour, in which it is seen how the outgoing vice president introduces different people to the incoming one, without greeting any of them. With that they tried to explain that the gesture was not only with the domestic workers of the official residence.
Meanwhile, from the Twitter of the Vice Presidency of Colombia They shared different postcards of the meeting between the politicians who, according to details, talked about gender equity, transparency, economic reactivation and productive inclusion of the informal population.
Course turn in Colombia
For his part, former rebel Petro, who received the president-elect credential for the 2022-2026 period on Monday, met for the first time with outgoing president Duque. Petro and Márquez, who won the ballotage with 11.2 million votes, will take office on August 7. His rival, the real estate tycoon Rodolfo Hernandezwas down with 10.6 million votes.
The new president, who in his youth militated in the extinct guerrilla M-19 who laid down his arms in 1991, attributed his triumph to the vote of the marginalized population of the country and especially the young. According to him, during the ballotage the abstention that usually characterizes these sectors decreased. “This government is fundamentally due to the appearance of that early youth that they did not want to let the country be snatched away, which perhaps has to do with that social mobilization of more than a year ago”, he said, after receiving his credential.
By this he referred to the mass demonstrations of 2021, led by young people against the policies of the Conservative government, when it came to moving forward with an unpopular Tax Reform. Although it was withdrawn, that intention ignited the spark that ignited two months of sustained protests against inequality, unemployment and violence. According to the United Nations, more than 40 people died in those demonstrations.
Petro’s victory too marks a turning point in Colombia, a country traditionally managed by conservatives and moderates. This caused uncertainty among some sectors of the population and in the markets. Aware of the resistance generated by his figure, Petro then promised to also govern for the 47% of voters who did not vote for him.
Source: Elcomercio
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.
