Isabel Cristina Zuleta “explodes” against Interior Minister Juan Fernando Cristo for not supporting the re-election of Gustavo Petro: “He wants to be a presidential candidate”

On the morning of Sunday, September 29, Juan Fernando Cristo, Minister of the Interior, shared an editorial of El Espectador, written by Fidel Cano, director of the media. In the text, Cano strongly opposes any possibility of re-election in Colombia, focusing on the president of the republic, Gustavo Pedro Urrego. Cristo expressed his agreement with Cano’s opinion.

However, Historic Pact Senator Isabel Zuleta, who championed the project to return the re-election to the country, disagreed with Christ’s message and questioned the national government officials that he did not support the initiative. “It does not reach Gustav Peter’s heels,” said the legislator in her X account.

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And in his message, the public official claimed that the national government does not support any initiative that seeks to enable the re-election of the president.

The words of the head of the Department of the Interior were as follows: “The character of re-election is alien to the institutional tradition of our country and changes the balance of power. That’s why I led the reintroduction of its ban in 2015. This government DOES NOT support any project that seeks to restore the re-election of the president or allow the re-election of governors and mayors.

For this reason, Isabel Zuleta responded to Juan Fernando Cristo’s comments, saying that she and others are also part of the government and that their struggles are just as important. He pointed out that Cristo as a presidential candidate did not suit Gustav Peter and argued that, unlike the position of a minister, re-election is a common practice worldwide and is not an exception.

“This government is also me and many others, these are also our struggles. “You’re the one who wants to be a presidential candidate and can’t keep up with Gustavo Petr, that’s why you ignore the world tradition in which re-election is a constant, not an exception.”answered the legislator belonging to the Fifth Commission of the Senate of the Republic in her X account.

Zuleta continued his answer by emphasizing that in consolidated democracies, the possibility of re-election is not a fear, which he described as “irrational”, but rather an option that allows the electorate to decide whether they want to continue with a leadership they find effective. He also questioned whether the Santos government was good enough to deserve re-election.

“In consolidated democracies, the possibility of re-election is not an insignificant fear, but rather an option that expands the voters’ rights to re-elect anyone they believe has done good government. Did Santo form a good government that deserved re-election?answered the congresswoman from the governing coalition.

The congresswoman’s post in turn drew mixed reactions from her followers on the social network, as user @destinitofatal responded that “no, you’re not the government. Apparently she’s a senator from the government bench. It’s different.” To which the legislator did not remain silent and replied “Hehehe. “Government of the people.”

On the other hand, regarding Fidel Cano’s column that Minister Cristo shared on his X profile, regarding re-election, he said in the text that “Yes, other countries have this number. Yes, there are systems where leaders can be re-elected for multiple terms and that doesn’t make them less democratic. But given the way our institutions are designed and what we have learned about how messianism and concentration of power work in the country, Colombia must back away from any regulatory arrangement that encourages abuse and deification of political leaders.

He also noted that the current proposal is rooted in the Historic Pact, even though Gustavo Petro has stated that he has no interest in remaining in power indefinitely. The initiative to discuss re-election comes from some congressmen, including Isabel Cristina Zuletová.