The imminent departure of Dilian Francisca Toro from the leadership of the ‘U’ party to compete in the October 29 elections is part of a trend that shows the importance of these fairs: several former candidates for the presidency of the Republic will play a leading role.
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After trying Arriving at the House of Nariño in 2022, Toro will go for the governorship of Valle del Cauca, of which he was its president in the period 2016-2019.
With her, there will be other leaders: Alejandro Char (Barranquilla mayor’s office), Federico Gutiérrez (Medellín), Carlos Amaya (Boyacá governorate), Eduardo Verano de la Rosa (Atlántico) and Rodolfo Hernández (Santander).
The difference, however, lies in the political power that Toro retains at the national level. With 10 senators and 15 representatives, ‘la U’ is a decisive factor in the public policies that President Gustavo Petro wants to carry out.
In fact, she was sitting at the same table with César Gaviria Trujillo (Liberal Party) and Efraín Cepeda (Conservative Party) when the head of state put together his government coalition that allowed him to draw up ambitious texts such as the tax reform.
After the end of the coalition, the social reforms that the President put for consideration of Congress were left stranded. The expectation, ten days before the start of the second legislature of the first left-wing government in the country, is about Petro’s action plan to advance his projects.
Before announcing his candidacy for governor of the Valle, Dilian Francisca has been careful. “Since independence, the congressmen of ‘la U’ will support those legislative proposals that have a positive impact on Colombians and we will oppose those that do not;That’s what we did when we were in the coalition and that’s how we will continue to do it: responsibly, listening, acting and thinking about the people”, he stated.
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Although his electoral capacity in his department is enormous – the current governor, Clara Luz Roldán, one of his pupils, won with 945,238 votes, 56, 17 percent while none of her eight rivals got even 10 percent of the total – she keeps tact because petrism is not a marginal force there. In addition to the fact that broad sectors remain loyal to Petro, Vice President Francia Márquez is also decisive, especially in the municipalities of the Pacific coast.
On this occasion, it is clear that her purpose is not only to win the governorship but who has a look that goes beyond the borders of his department.
He will compete on the card with Santiago Castro, former congressman and former president of the Banking Association, of conservative origin and who some sectors consider a letter from the Democratic Center ; the councilor of Cali Fernando Alberto Tamayo; Ferney Lozano, former mayor of Yumbo and representative of the Historical Pact.
Likewise, Horman David García, a native of La Victoria, business administrator and who presents himself as independent.Deputy Jhon Jairo Caicedo, conservative, lawyer and union leader. Luis Fernando Velázquez, who would have the endorsement of the League of Anti-Corruption Rulers.
The last to disembark was Óscar Gamboa, who left the position of adviser to the ambassador in Washington, Luis Gilberto Murillo. He is a pharmaceutical doctor, from Buenaventura. They will be his rivals, whom he beats from the outset in recognition, which is crucial when voting.
In fact, today she is the only visible leader of national projection in her community, to such an extent that the new executive cadres in the presidency of ‘la U’ will only come to succeed it if they have their prior approval. There will be four congressmen from different regions and of all their confidence.
Inside the party it is known, according to completely reliable sources, that on July 25 there will be a bench and that the congressmen know that the leadership will be collegiate, so she will continue to be his natural boss.
Meanwhile, he has two options: continue with nods to the National Government so as not to bother Petro in a department where he obtained 1,310,236 votes. Or she joins the call of former vice president Germán Vargas Lleras, who proposes that the October elections be a turning point against the Historical Pact.“I hope that the elections for mayors and governors are a mini-referendum against the bad government of “change” and the direction in which they are taking the country”, says the leader of Cambio Radical.
Among the non-Petrist parties that were part of the coalition, they see it as unlikely that she will make this leap. For her part, she seems to agree with those who believe that she is not going to launch into opposition to the President.
“To the Colombians we express that from ‘la U’ we will continue working for and for the people ; without political calculations and aware that we are facing a historic moment that requires consensual, negotiated, inclusive changes that favor conversation and not confrontation”, he said.
They will have a different situation if they win the elections and become the new governor. She is going to face some very delicate circumstances in terms of public order, as seen in Los Farallones de Cali, where dissidents and the Clan del Golfo lurk; and Buenaventura, in which the days that were believed to be part of the past returned. “The call is for them not to leave alone our police officers who have put their chests on Buenaventura and have bravely faced the criminal gangs”, says Clara Luz Roldán, governor and pupil.
Interview with Dilian Francisca ToroDilian Francisca talks about the breakdown of the coalition. Photo:
