MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Colombian President says the rule of law has prevailed

Duque said “there is no vaccine against populism”

Colombian President Iván Duque said that during the past months of political and social unrest, “the rule of law, institutionality, and democracy has prevailed,” despite the numerous cases of police brutality and human rights violations that have been reported.

“Colombia has been suffering from drug trafficking attacks in all its forms of violence for more than forty years, some ideological, others criminal. It has been an incessant and hard battle, but the rule of law, institutionality, democracy and the system of freedoms have prevailed,” Duque said in an interview published by the Cambio 16 newspaper Friday.

The President insisted that Colombia was calm, after, in his opinion, the government knew how to navigate and control the intention to set fire and weaken the country. “Without a doubt, the agents of the social fracture were demonizing our tax reform proposal,” said Duque, who nevertheless withdrew the project in response to the demonstrations.

He added that by trusting in God and with the unwavering support of his family, he is building a consensus to balance public finances, hit by the global pandemic. He added that he hoped to defeat street violence with positive actions and what he called “the unreason to do politics,” because even though he withdrew the tax reform bill, protests continued across Colombian cities.

Duque also said that although the national strike which began on April 28 had not been lifted “the country has resumed its daily activities” and that “institutionalism was imposed.”

And while his government wsa now focvused on immunizing Colombians against SARS-CoV-2, “there is no vaccine against populism” or utopias that lead to real social and economic tragedies.

“It is evident that the need to protect democracy, free market and, fundamentally, freedom has been understood. And in that sense, the role of Colombia is fundamental as a cornerstone to open a path to opportunities, the best containment against dictatorial and authoritarian pretensions,” the President added.