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Colombia`s Green Party signs a agreement to join forces with Gutavo Petro`s Progresistas. An alliance of the left? Christian Ortiz wonders how it might work.

Can you imagine the Progressives, the Green Party, and Compromiso Ciudadano together in one party? For many, it would be like mixing oil and water! However, recently the three political movements approved a general consensus to begin negotiations to form a coalition.

Despite obvious ideological differences among the three groups, it seems they are all set on joining forces to go up against an eventual Santos reelection bid. Conditions couldn’t be better; President Santos and ex president Uribe are more divided than ever; Santos’ popularity rating has plunged to an all time low; and a very unstable and questionable economic model has left the country virtually paralyzed. Such is the context in which Antonio Navarro Wolff has set out to build an alternative political option for Colombia.

Early negotiations between the three movements have faced skepticism from all sides of the political spectrum, questioning the viability of placing leaders such as Gustavo Petro (Progresistas), Sergio Fajardo (Compromiso Ciudadano), and Enrique Peñalosa (PartidoVerde) under one single banner.

Political coalitions have been extremely successful in South America, however, and it may be a headache worth enduring. Progressives, Green Party and Compromiso Ciudadano joining together could be the start of something much more solid. Picture a Frente Amplio criollo – if you will – dedicated to the Constitution of 1991, but willing to enhance democracy by empowering the people. But also picture a broad coalition that could stand to defend diversity in order to collectively develop a more humane future for Colombia.

We have seen in Uruguay, its Frente Amplio win the last two presidential elections, and as Jose Pepe Mujica is winding down his current term, the coalition is already working together to secure a third presidential mandate. Frente Amplio of Uruguay has been able to unite diverse sectors like the Christian Democrats, Social Democrats, Socialists, Communists, and even some Liberals. We have also seen center-left coalitions succeed recently in Ecuador and Venezuela.

Although Navarro Wolff seems to have set out to seduce the center parties first, he has revealed that ideally a next stepwill permit an accord with the parties and diverse social movements of the left. For the former M-19 Commandant, and ex Governor of Nariño, one thing is clear; “If we want to be a competitive option, we have to construct a diverse coalition, if not, Santos will easily defeat us, like a knife going through butter.”