Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t be seen dead drinking Starbucks coffee. But ignore the small-minded souls who protest its arrival; Starbucks is a good thing for Colombia.
Don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t be seen dead drinking Starbucks coffee. But ignore the small-minded souls who protest its arrival; Starbucks is a good thing for Colombia.
2013 has been unpredictable. Rural rebellion, polemic peace talks, anti-democratic “coups”, and re-election rumours abounded.
To close this year of locura in our querida Colombia we bring you the best, the worst and the most ridiculous politicians of the past 12 months.
These are the Colombia Politics awards. Happy New Year.
Hero of the year – Nairo Quintana
Nairo is no politician, but his was a gritty and unassuming leadership all the nation admired this year.
While rural Colombia revolted, a bicycling sensation was born as Señor Quintana, claimed second place in his first ever Tour de France, this year.
The humble 23 year old, born to campesinos from Boyaca, stole Colombian hearts as he was first crowned the Tour`s King of the Mountain and then later stepped up to the Parisian podium in July.
Quintana`s story is a folklorically different to the pampered, and elite-trained athletes of Europe and North America.
There were no nutritionists to help Nairo in his teenage years, the diminutive youngster instead relying on Colombia`s carb-heavy culinary staples, sancocho and ajiaco.
Nairo cycled miles to school – as money often didn`t run to the bus fare – on a rickety old bike he father said was useless. Today, he is a gentleman; a smiling unassuming sporting hero.
Nairo, we salute you.
Politician of the year – Humberto de la Calle
Dulcet-toned de la Calle is the Santos Government`s chief negotiator in the peace talks with the FARC in Havana.
An eternal statesman, de la Calle has held cabinet positions over much of the last 20 years and has with huge aplomb steered the polemic and public-opinion-dividing talks with the guerrillas towards to a hopefully succesful conclusion.
Despite constant sniping from the sidelines and despite negotiating with the wily guerrillas who have devoted the last 50 years to a war against the Colombian state, de la Calle has managed to maintain the appearance of order and control.
Leadership is a rare quality and de la Calle`s erudite and calming influence has been its best example in 2013.
Wind bag of the year – Gustavo Petro
Love him or loathe him, Petro`s rhetoric has been unrivalled (in its verbosity) this year.
The newly sacked Mayor of Bogota is reminiscent of a 1980s University Student Union “trot” determined to divide the world into the bourgeois (evil) and the proletarian masses (virtuous yet down-trodden).
Commentators have perhaps a little unfairly said Petro has a “speech for everything and a solution for nothing”, but the mayor`s time in office has certainly been characterized by hyperbole and very little rolling up of sleeves and getting on with the job.
When the right-wing Inspector General Alejandro Ordoñez (hate figure for those on the left) decided earlier this month to depose Petro for his mishandling of the nationalization of Bogota`s rubbish collection (yes, really), Petro was handed the opportunity of a lifetime to transform himself from terrible administrator to the “people`s matyr”.
Expect 2014 to be another year of plaintive pomposity from Petro as he fights Ordoñez’s decision and tries to build a coalition of “indignados” ahead of congressional and presidential elections.
Foot in mouth moment of the year – President Santos
“El tal paro no existe”
Whoops, Mr President.
President Santos might be a nice patrician sort of chap but he is not the most charismatic of politicians. When forced to ad-lib, Juan Manuel often trips over himself with a sort of self-consciousness not usually associated with those who have risen to the top.
As nation-wide protests at the economic ruin of rural Colombia began to take hold in August, Santos appeared on television to utter the infamous line, “this national strike doesn`t exist”.
Lampooned and harrangued in equal measure, Santos appeared out of touch, insensitive, and worse still, unable to manage a crisis. The country told him in no uncertain terms that “yes, there jolly well was a strike, and what`s more we`re going to stick it out until you get on and do something about it”; roads were blocks, pots and pans were bashed in protest against the president, and Bogota rioted. Santos was forced to “militarize” (in his words) the capital to stop the rot.
The president saw his popularity levels fall below 20% and hasn`t since recovered.
Opposition politician of the year – a tie!
President Santos controls over 90% of congress and has most of the national media eating out of the palm of his hand (or his pocket, if Uribe`s allegations are to be believed).
Opposition in Colombia`s highly presidentialized system has often been a lonely pursuit.
So particular mention is merited for those who have stuck at it and tried to hold the president to account this year.
Colombia Politics could not decide on a winner between Jorge Enrique Robledo on the left and Alvaro Uribe on the right and so we decided to split the gong in two.
Former President Alvaro Uribe has been a constant thorn in the side of his successor, attacking Santos for being all talk and no delivery, for duplicitousness and betrayal in entering into talks with the FARC, and for weakness in his dealings with firebrand neighbours in Caracas and Managua.
Robledo too has been an almost lone voice in congress opposing government policy. Robledo`s engaging and forensic style has been put to effect with devastating effect, hastening the fall of ministers and ambassadors.
His dearest wish would be to put an end the Santos regime. This may be a step too far, but in 2014 he heads the senate list for the left wingers, Polo Democrats and could well be elected with the highest number of votes.
There are many other figures we would like to raise a toast to here, like the offensive Senator Gerlein who called homosexual sex “excremental”, and the corrupt former Bogota Mayor, Samuel Moreno who is alleged to have stolen over 15 million dollars of public money in the just three years he was in power.
What does 2014 hold? We hope for new leadership, some new faces and for Colombians to continue their “civic rebellion”, demanding more of their political class.
Here`s to a 2014 in which Colombia votes for peace and hopefully a little bit of a change too.
Colombian opposition party Polo Democratic Alternative (PDA) will this weekend choose its candidate to fight the 2014 presidential elections against an almost certain to run for re-election President Juan Manuel Santos.
The PDA´s national congress, the third of its kind, begins tomorrow and under discussion is not only party policy, but also who will lead the group into the forthcoming elections. Two big names are expected to go forward as possible candidates, Jorge Enrique Robledo, and Clara López.
Robledo has the star appeal; his polemic and permanent campaigning style make him a hero for many on the left. Colombia Politics profiled this senator last month and has long tipped him has a potential presidential candidate.
In 2010, Robledo became the second most voted for senator, behind the U Party´s Juan Lozano. He is one of the most visible senators and has been a fierce critic of the neo-liberalism of the Uribe and Santos regimes. In a poll of influential thought leaders released today, Robledo was labelled the best performing senator.
Whether you agree with his politics or not, Robledo is the undisputed opposition heavy weight in Congress. His campaigns have been as diverse as they have been full-bloodedly fought. Last year he became the darling of the student movement, attacking the Santos administration´s education reform bill (which was eventually ditched because of the level and organization of opposition). This year he has taken on the implementation of the land restitution law, stood as the loudest voice against the free trade agreement with the USA, and has lampooning the government´s tax reform legislation currently before lawmakers.
Clara López is less polemic and less obviously a campaigning figure. The current director of the PDA party, López won credit for her work as the caretaker Mayor of Bogotá last year. López stepped in following the deposition of Samuel Moreno (who faced corruption charges) and was widely recognized as a successful administrator, in stark contrast to current Mayor and former Polo presidential candidate, Gustavo Petro.
This website has previously argued that Clara López represents the PDA´s best electoral hope. For us, López´s measured style and her greater appeal to those closer to the political centre, means she has a higher chance of gathering in votes from a wider cross-section of society. It is difficult to see how Robledo would appeal (electorally speaking) to anyone other than a committed socialist. Fine if the PDA are content to languish in the polls.
López is without doubt a left-winger, but she scares away fewer voters than does Robledo. Colombia is not a left-wing country, but some 30% of the electorate is said to be prepared to vote for a candidate of this colour. Were López able to present a more centrist platform then this figure could well move north.
The problem for the Colombian left is that it has become fractured and disparate. Petro´s Progressives party and Piedad Córdoba´s far left Marcha Patriotica movement could well split the vote, leaving the PDA with precious little representation in Congress. It has even been predicted that unless the PDA run a successful election campaign they could struggle to return any politicians to the Capitolio in 2014.
The Santos administration controls over 90% of Colombia´s Congress leaving the PDA as the only real and organized opposition to the government. A PDA presence in Congress is important for the health of the nation´s democracy.
Despite disastrous regional elections last year, and a series of high-profile departures and splits since the last congressional elections in 2010, the PDA, with the right candidate will try to position itself as only viable alternative to the centre centre-right politics of the status quo.
Will the PDA choose wisely?
Jorge Enrique Robledo Castillo is one of the most visible politicians in the land. A hard left, trade-unionist and anti-free trade agreement polemicist, Robledo is a hero for many who oppose the “neo-liberalism” of recent Colombian governments.
In 2010 he was re-elected to the senate with the third highest number of votes of all candidates, and is, electorally, the number one member of the main opposition party, the Polo Democratic Alternative.
Last year, Robledo became the darling of the student movement, leading the opposition to the Santos Government´s proposed higher education reforms.
Vocal, charismatic and instantly recognizable, Robledo is not afraid to act as a lone voice in a political system he himself labels a tyrannically “unanimous” in its subservience to the president.
A frequent contributor to the top political debate programme, Hora 20, on Caracol Radio, Robledo has star quality, and the integrity of his arguments make him popular even among those who do not share his views.
Robledo was born in Ibagué in 1950, graduated from the top private Universidad de los Andes, and went on to teach at the public Universidad Nacional. While at university, Robledo joined the left-wing MOIR movement, and formed close ties with trade unionists. Perhaps as a result of his debating style, many assume he is a lawyer, but this Caldense is in fact an architect.
Robledo move from Ibagué to Manizales (Caldas), where he worked for organizations representing small coffee farm owners and workers. These campaigns allowed him to build a base of support.
From this platform, Robledo launched his campaign to become Governor in 1997, a race he lost against the powerful coalition of Liberal and Conservatives. Robledo did not stand a chance, but came a respectable second, securing over 50 000 votes, a third of those obtained by the eventual winner.
In 2002, Robledo stood in the elections to the Senate, for which, with the backing of MOIR, he managed to win 45,000 votes, taking him for the first time to the Capitolio.
Robledo soon rose to prominence with his forthright views and his terrier-like debating style. Using this profile, Robledo became the voice of the unions, of agricultural organizations and other leftist movements, and cast himself as the opposition the free trade agreements proposed first be Uribe and later by Santos.
In 2006, Robledo joined the Polo Democratic Alternative (PDA), bringing together a collection of hitherto disparate leftist blocks. In the Senate race that year he won 80,000 votes, coming second only to Gustavo Petro in the terms of popularity within the PDA.
Throughout the 2006-10 parliament, Robledo, like Petro, became associated (perhaps too much so, and to the detriment of his other positions) with his fierce criticism of Uribe.
In 2009, the inspector general, Alejandro Ordóñez opened a case against the Senator for alleged ties with the FARC. Robledo had been mentioned in files on the infamous computer of Raul Reyes (the FARC´s top military commander) which was analyzed following his death in Ecuador, 2008. Robledo denies the links, arguing that the information on the computer was hearsay and did not in any way incriminate him.
Following Robledo´s re-election in 2010, with twice the number of votes in the 2006 elections, he has continued his fight against the government and what he considers to be the unchecked capitalism of its politics.
This Senator is one of Colombia´s top tweeters, giving Uribe a run for his money, and is known for his permanent campaigning style.
Robledo is firmly positioned one the left, very seldom (if ever) venturing towards the centre ground – meaning he stands little chance of being a serious presidential candidate, were he to want to put himself forward.
However, Robledo´s role in Colombian politics is crucial. His opposition, like that of Petro´s during Uribe´s second term, is important for the democratic scrutiny of a Santos administration that controls over 90% of Congress.
Robledo´s opposition is not restricted to those on the centre, or the right, however. He has also been a critic of his old comrade, Gustavo Petro, the current Mayor of Bogotá, whom he accuses of presiding over a crisis in transport in the city.
Whether you are for or against his politics, Robledo is never dull, and is certainly one to watch.
The 2014 Colombian presidential race is already underway. For once the talk is not about Juan Manuel Santos’ re-election. Nor is the focus on the machinations of the former president, Alvaro Uribe. This week we learnt that Senator Jorge Enrique Robledo, the intellectual left-winger intends to allow his name to go forward as a candidate.
Eloquent and polemical, Robledo has star appeal. He is, now that Gustavo Petro is in power, the most vocal and recognisable opposition politician in Colombia. In the 2010 senate race Robledo secured the third highest vote. He is undoubtedly a cult figure.
The left’s candidate of choice?
It is not in any way certain that Robledo will emerge as the chosen candidate for his Polo Democratic party. Clara Lopez, the Polo Democrats’ president is the favourite to secure the nomination. But the party is unlikely to decide this before next year, leaving plenty of scope for Robledo’s star to continue to ascend.
An eventual Robledo candidature would offer Colombians radical change. Robledo is opposed to just about every policy of the Santos administration. In fact Robledo runs counter virtually to the entire political culture of the country.
Robledo has made his career attacking the effects of the pro-market neo-liberalist policies that have reigned in Colombia since the 1990 presidency of Cesar Gaviria. Robledo is a red-blooded socialist who tends to protectionism, and the anti-big business rhetoric popular in large swathes of Latin America.
He is against the free-trade agreement with the USA, against private involvement in university education, and against the (as he sees it) colonialism of the Washington Consensus. Were he to win the presidential elections, he would quickly set about reversing much of the work of the last 20 years of centrist and right-wing Colombian governments.
In a telling interview with the quality publication El Colombiano earlier this month, Senator Robledo told Colombians that their country is on the sick-bed, and that the treatment the Santos presidency is administering is making the patient worse.
In this article, Robledo sets out the case for an alternative government for Colombia. A government based on socialist ideals. The senator’s thoughts for this brave new world were published a little over a week before it came to light that he was exploring the possibility of his candidature, as it is put. He will consult friends within the Polo Democratic Party before deciding his course of action.
Should he get a chance to present his prospectus, the article in El Colombiano sets outs clearly how this policy platform might look.
He argues that during the eighteen months of the Santos regime Colombia has gone from bad to worse. His principle argument is that government policies have benefited the monopolies, big businesses, and foreign investors at the expense of the poor, the middle classes, and the country’s small and medium-sized businesses. According to Robledo, Santos has widened Colombia’s inequality gap, reinforcing its status as the third most unequal nation on earth.
The intimation is that a Robledo presidency would halt the free trade agreements with the USA, with Europe and with South Korea. Robledo’s contention is that Colombia would not benefit from the agreements: The inherent structural imbalance would lend foreign companies a major advantage over less well developed Colombian businesses.Robledo predicts a new era of colonialism, as bad, he suggests, as the era of Spanish rule. This fatalism is typical of the protectionist left.
In the article, Robledo also attacks Santos’ land restitution policy, and his judicial reform laws arguing in his characteristically colourful language, that the President is steering the country into the ‘abyss’.
As with many politicians of his colour, Robledo is hotter on what he is against than on what he is for. A clear and compelling plan for a workable alternative for the country is not – for this website, at least – immediately available for consideration.
But Robledo will not worry about that. For now his brand is one of opposition. Last year when university students went on strike in protest against President’s Santos proposed changes to the education system, Robledo became the flag bearer of their cause. With soaring anti-privitisation rhetoric, Robledo launched wave after wave of attack, eventually helping students to force the government to shelve the plans. Robledo has long enjoyed cult status within certain parts of Colombian society.
In a Congress where over 90% of the politicians are members of the coalition government, Robledo stands out like a sore thumb of contrariness.
There is no point in pretending that Robledo is anything other than a long-shot for president in 2014. He is a politician that is best suited to opposition. There is no denying his eloquence or even his likability. But he is precisely the sort of leader the Colombian left needs to steer well clear of.
Petro’s election in Bogotá showed the way for his former Polo Democratic colleagues – move to the centre, or die. For the Colombian left to have a real chance in 2014 it must select the moderate (and experienced) Clara Lopez.
Robledo is a stalking horse, but one that provides a bit of colour to a Colombian political system where the odds are stacked hugely in favour of the ruling administration, and where opposition is often drowned out in a din of unanimity.