Gobierno de Reconciliación y Unidad Nacional
Unida Nicaragua Triunfa
SPEECH BY THE DELEGATION OF NICARAGUA AT THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE “COLOMBIA ON THE THRESHOLD OF CHANGE”
WEDNESDAY, 18 MAY, 9:00 AM (NICARAGUA TIME)
ONLINE FORMAT
Dear Comrade Mónica Valente, Executive Secretary of the Sao Paulo Forum,
Brothers and Sisters Jaime Caicedo Turriago, Gloria Inés Ramírez, Jaime Dussan and Gabriel Becerra Yañez,
Sisters and Brothers of Political Parties that make up the Sao Paulo Forum and who join us in this important International Conference "Colombia on the threshold of change,"
Receive a Fraternal Greeting on behalf of the President of the Republic of Nicaragua, Comandante Daniel Ortega Saavedra and Vice President, Comrade Rosario Murillo Zambrana, with the recognition of all the Comrades who make up the Government of Reconciliation and National Unity and the militancy of the Sandinista National Liberation Front (FSLN).
With less than two weeks to go before the first round of the presidential elections in Colombia, as our fellow speakers have stated, we can see a favorable electoral outlook for Brother Gustavo Petro and Sister Francia Márquez, who lead the Pacto Histórico Coalition, and whose government program aspire to promote greater social and economic transformations in the Sister Republic of Colombia, more gender equity, the transformation of the national pension system, citizen security, education and universal public health, development of renewable energy sources, digital transformation, fight against poverty, among other fundamental issues.
Returning to the 2016 Peace Agreements and promoting genuine and constant dialogue will be essential to guarantee stability and citizen security in Colombia, also providing due civil and legal protection to former FARC-EP combatants, as well as to social leaders and indigenous people, who suffer from persecution and murder by the Colombian armed forces and paramilitary groups linked to drug trafficking and Uribeism.
In international relations, Gustavo Petro proposes a position of respect for National Sovereignty, which necessarily implies redoubling efforts in the fight against drug trafficking and organized crime, and reforming the security policy with the United States in order to stop the flows of cocaine that are consumed in that market and which have increased during the Uribista administrations. He also points to the normalization of relations with the Sister Republic of Venezuela, which will give a strong boost to our common aspirations for a United and Prosperous Latin America and Caribbean.
This ambitious government program faces strong opposition from those who prefer to keep Colombia as a colony and promote from that country, division, discrimination, instability and conflict between our Brotherly Peoples. We demand for Colombia what we ensure for our own People, the Right to participate in free, fair, universal elections, without interventionism or manipulation.
We condemn electoral violence in any of its manifestations and view with great concern the threats against the life of Gustavo Petro. It is the responsibility of the State to guarantee the protection of the lives of all electoral candidates, their campaign teams and the voting population in general.
We wish the entire Colombian People, the Colombia Humana Movement, the Patriotic Union, all the Political Parties that make up the Pacto Histórico Coalition, the best results in favor of Peace, Stability, Security and Sovereignty, that they may open the doors to the integration of the Latin American and Caribbean Motherland. Always and Beyond!