MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Gaviria's Colombian Liberals to side with Petro

Petro and former Organization of American States (OAS) Chief Gaviria met in Florence, Italy.

A group of Colombian Liberal lawmakers has issued a statement announcing they will be joining forces with President-elect Gustavo Petro once he takes office on Aug. 7, after the former guerrilla fighter and incumbent leftwing Senator met with former President and current Liberal Party (PL) Chairman César Gaviria in Italy earlier this week.

The signatories of the document explained that after internal discussions and debate it had been voted and approved to support Petro's “legislative agenda” after sharing with the future head of state their concerns regarding “the need to implement institutional reforms” leading to the consolidation of peace and “equity” with “social justice.”

“We recognize that these projects of change are identified with the ideological bases, the democratic platform and the social sense that inspire the Colombian Liberal Party,” the document read.

It also stated underlined the importance of an “economy committed to the Social State of Law” in addition to full compliance with the Constitution and “respect for private property, protection of savings and care of Colombians' pensions.”

The liberals said both Petro and Vice-President-elect Francia Márquez extended them the invitation to join what they called Gran Acuerdo Nacional (Great National Agreement), according to the document released by Liberal

Party Secretary-General Miguel Ángel Sánchez on Twitter.

The Liberals also underlined that they valued dialogue as a way to achieving peace, “always respectful of diversity and pluralism.”

Sánchez also published a photo of himself with Petro and said: said: “We will work together in the construction of the reforms that Colombia requires, for the welfare and progress of all.”