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What does Gustavo Petro propose in terms of economy, work and taxes to be president of Colombia?

2022-06-14T19:39:03.850Z


Petro wants to be president of Colombia and is preparing for the second round: what does he propose in terms of the economy, work and taxes?


Petro and Hernández, under the magnifying glass for complaints and accusations 2:49

(CNN Spanish) --

The countdown to the second round in Colombia has already begun.

In a few days it will be known who the new president is: whether the leftist former mayor of Bogotá, Gustavo Petro, or the controversial former mayor of Bucaramanga, Rodolfo Hernández, while the economy slips into the center of the race.

Colombians will vote on Sunday, June 19, between two options that have surpassed the center candidates in the first round.

Whoever wins will mean a change in the political trend in Colombia in recent years.

  • ANALYSIS |

    The 5 conclusions of the first round in Colombia

In this context, Petro, who is running for the third time in presidential elections and has established himself as the representative of the left and progressivism in the country, will try to impose himself on Hernández, the contested candidate, sometimes described as the Colombian "Trump".

The importance of the economy in the campaign

Petro was the most voted candidate in the first round, but other candidates who fell by the wayside, such as Federico "Fico" Gutiérrez, have already expressed their support for Hernández.

And one of the biggest obstacles he faces is the distrust generated by his program in terms of economic policy.

What can be expected from the second round of Colombia?

2:48

Jorge Andrés Hernández, a Bogotá-based political analyst and author of the podcast Política y Tabú, told CNN that "Colombia is a very conservative country where somehow there is a collective idea that a big change is a leap into the abyss."

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Petro has been accused by his detractors of being populist and authoritarian, and in the 2018 campaign —in which he lost in the second round against the current president, Iván Duque— the Democratic Center party said that Colombia would become Venezuela if the candidate won. .

In fact, the most extreme sectors of the Colombian right tend to label him a communist, despite the fact that Petro defines himself as a progressive leftist.

"He generates mixed visceral passions: there are people who idolize him to death, who adore him, and there are people who hate him with all their heart," said Jorge Andrés Hernández.

But what exactly is Petro proposing in terms of the economy, labor and taxes?

  • The 5 key proposals of Gustavo Petro to be president of Colombia

Change in the energy matrix, "economy for life" and agrarian reform

Petro proposes an energy transition from the matrix dependent on oil and coal to renewable energies.

Petro and Francia Márquez want to put an end to extractivism (through a "gradual de-escalation"), and say they will ban the exploration and exploitation of unconventional deposits, stop pilot fracking projects and the development of offshore deposits, will not give new licenses for the exploration of hydrocarbons nor will they allow large-scale open pit mining.

The program indicates that Ecopetrol, the state oil company, "will remain the patrimony of Colombians to guarantee the fuels that the country requires for the next 15 years."

In his government program, Petro frames his economic policies under the slogan "Economy for life", in turn within the umbrella of the objective of "Colombia, power for life".

Petro and Hernández go to the second presidential round 0:47

"This implies moving towards a productive economy based on respect for nature, leaving behind the exclusive dependence on the extractivist model and democratizing the use of clean energy," says the document.

Among the measures, Petro proposes an "agrarian and aquarium reform" to advance in terms of equality in land ownership and use, guaranteeing the "right to land for rural families."

To achieve this agrarian reform, "unproductive multifundios on fertile lands" will be discouraged through taxes.

Its objective is to discourage large estates.

"We will propose to the owner of the unproductive large estate to activate the production of his land, pay the corresponding taxes, or ultimately, sell it to the State so that it in turn delivers it to the rural communities," says the program.

Petro has insisted in recent statements, as can be seen in this video, that they are not going to expropriate but to democratize.

"I have never uttered the word expropriation," he said in part of a heated debate with one of his main opponents, 'Fico' Gutiérrez.

In April, Petro and Márquez signed a document in a notary's office in which they promised not to expropriate.

"Smart Tariffs"

Petro also proposes to face a "democratic and responsible industrialization process" through a "smart tariff policy that stimulates life, the generation of added value, competitiveness and national industry", and aimed at increasing employment and income.

I trust Colombia's willingness to change: Petro's message when voting 2:32

Specifically, this tariff policy consists of reducing tariffs for inputs, goods and services that meet the aforementioned conditions, while they will be increased for those that affect that added value, as a "commercial defense mechanism" against "unfair competition". with subsidized imports.

Thus, Petro proposes to review the Free Trade Agreements, the policy of intellectual property rights and the existing conditions towards foreign investment, to protect the Colombian national industry.

The "guaranteed" job

Petro's government program intends to guarantee "the fundamental right to decent, decent work" and defend a minimum wage "that complies with the constitutional mandates within the framework of social rights typical of a Social State of Law."

The most concrete policy in this area is that of "guaranteed employment", and it will be focused on unemployment subsidies and labor flexibility.

"The State will act as the employer of last resort, offering employment to those who can and want to work, but cannot find employment in the private sector, mainly benefiting the unemployed, youth, women, informal workers, popular economies and territories," the text says.

The Latin American left under a Petro presidency in Colombia 1:38

In addition, contracts will be established for minor works in cities and neighborhoods, using private labor, and increasing the capacity of small and medium-sized companies will be prioritized.

tax policy

At the center of the economic policies proposed by Petro is the promise to move towards "tax justice with progressive and equitable taxes", combating evasion and avoidance, and removing tax benefits.

Thus, it is expected to increase fiscal space by an additional 5.5% of Colombia's GDP

Among the measures, it is proposed that Ecopetrol contribute taxes to the State and to the transition towards clean energy.

The taxes will also serve to subsidize a "public and universal" health system in which access and quality of care do not depend on ability to pay, according to the program.

In addition, Petro agrees not to extend VAT to the family basket and to promote "healthy taxes" to improve access to food and beverages, both in quantity and nutritional quality.

With information from Ángela Reyes, Florencia Trucco, Melissa Velásquez, Juan Carlos López and Germán Padinger.

MEET THE CANDIDATES:

  • Gustavo Petro

  • Rodolfo Hernandez

Elections ColombiaGustavo Petro

Source: cnnespanol

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