Leer en Español
I’m going to vote tomorrow at the Colombian Consulate in Miami. We Colombians have that privilege. We can elect our leaders from abroad and, to make it even easier, we can vote early during the whole week prior to election day, which is Sunday, June 19. I’m going to do it with a rather singular feeling, which mixes something of that great democratic celebration that our elections have traditionally been, with a deep concern for what the result may bring us on this occasion.
I never tire of repeating it: these could be our last free elections. This time, when we are privately looking at the ballot paper, we will find the images of the two candidates. What we actually have to see is, on the one hand, the reality of the Colombia we are, with its flaws and virtues, and the proposal of another Colombia, that of decomposition, tragedy, and despair, which the left wants to present to us as rivers of milk and honey, but which we already know, from the experience of other nations, will lead us irremediably and painfully towards the abyss.
The adjective that comes to my mind to refer to the deplorable tricks with which the guerrilla campaign has tried to muddy the image of the engineer is “disgusting.” Hernández may not be the ideal candidate, but as a person and as a public figure, is infinitely better than his opponent. I fail to understand how certain sectors of the public opinion are willing to question aspects of Rodolfo’s past, which are clearly insignificant when compared to the judicial record of Cacas — the far-left candidate — and his track record of corruption and mismanagement of public funds.
I understand that there are people in Colombia who want a change. There were also in Cuba, with Batista, and in Venezuela with the leaders of AD and Copei, and I can guarantee you that today, most Cubans and Venezuelans would have preferred that the change they longed for would have taken place in a completely different direction.
There will also be change with Rodolfo, because that was what Colombians asked for in the first round of elections, less than three weeks ago. We made it known with our vote that we want a shake-up in the political class, that we must formally fight corruption, that we must control public spending and make the government apparatus more efficient. Rodolfo can achieve that.
The guerrilla, for his part, will have no choice but to continue promoting corruption because that will be the only way to repay them for their support to the gang of bandits who joined his political project. He has promised to redistribute wealth and that, the only thing that guarantees, is that there will be misery for all, as in Venezuela. He will increase taxes on the rich and will discourage the creation of jobs, he will fill the government with unnecessary and incapable officials, in order to keep a good number of his deaf, blind and mute followers happy and close to him.
Worst of all, even if he fails, which is by far the most likely scenario, he will implement all the necessary mechanisms to perpetuate himself in power, until he and his cronies, domestic and foreign, have managed to plunder every last cent.
No one can say for certain what the government of the engineer of Bucaramanga will be like. But he was not bad when he was mayor, and it is evident that he is not a bad person. The worst that can happen is that things do not go well for him, and we will see in 2026 with whom we will replace him. That option, with Cacas, doesn’t exist. Besides, we have already done so badly with excellent candidates, that it would not be strange if we do well with Rodolfo.
Jaime Florez
Hispanic Communications Director - Republican National Committee.