Francia Márquez, elected vice president of Colombia: "After 214 years we achieved a government of the people, the government of the nobodies of Colombia"

Petro is the elected president of Colombia with more than 50% of the votes 1:44

(CNN Spanish) --

"Thank you Colombia for this historic moment. I want to thank all the Colombian men and women who gave their lives for this moment. All our sisters and brothers, social leaders who were sadly murdered in this country," said Francia Márquez. , elected vice president of Colombia, addressing her supporters in Bogotá after the victory of the Gustavo Petro/Francia Márquez formula in the second round of the country's presidential elections.

"First of all, I want to thank God for this moment, thanks to the Virgin Mary, thanks to our ancestors, thanks to our Colombian people, the young people, the women, thanks Colombia for this historic moment."

– France Márquez Mina (@FranciaMarquezM) June 20, 2022

Márquez is the mother of two children, whom, out of fear, she had to take out of the country while she advanced the current campaign, she said in March.

She is a lawyer graduated from the Santiago de Cali University and was awarded the Goldman Prize in 2018, something like a 'Nobel Prize for the Environment' for her struggle in the community of La Toma "to stop illegal gold mining on their ancestral land "that he was contaminating the river in which his entire community fished with mercury.

Márquez thanked the communities and his movement Soy por Somos and the Polo Democrático Alternativo "for having believed it possible to change the history of Colombia," he said.

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Márquez sends a greeting to the women

"I greet the women of Colombia, all my sisters, my comadres, thank you for having accompanied me and for having accompanied Gustavo Petro," he added.

Márquez recognized the contribution of Colombian youth in Petro's campaign, as well as the "teachers, workers, the disabled community that was also present."

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Márquez's speech was marked by recognition of minorities.

"After 214 years we achieved a government of the people, a popular government. The government of the people, of callused hands, the government of ordinary people, the government of the nobodies and nobodies of Colombia," he said.

"We are going to reconcile this nation," added the elected vice president of Colombia.

"We are going for peace decisively, without fear, with love and with joy. We are going for dignity. We are going for social justice. We women are going to eradicate the patriarchy of our country," she said amid shouts from the followers.

"We are going for the rights of the diverse LGBTQ+ community. We are going for the rights of our mother earth, of the big house. To take care of biodiversity. Together we are going to eradicate structural racism. I am the first Afro-descendant woman in Colombia. I am its vice president" , he added before giving way to Gustavo Petro.

Read here the full speech of Francia Márquez, Vice President-elect of Colombia

First of all, I want to thank God for this moment.

Thanks to the Virgin Mary.

Thanks to our ancestors and ancestors.

Thanks to our ancestors and ancestors.

Thank you, Colombian people.

Thank you Colombia for this historic moment.

I want to thank all the Colombian men and women who gave their lives for this moment.

All our brothers and sisters social leaders who were sadly assassinated in this country.

To the youth who have been murdered and disappeared.

To the women who have been violated and disappeared.

To all of them who I know are accompanying us from somewhere in this historic moment for Colombia.

We thank you.

Thank you for having made the way.

Thank you for sowing the seed of resistance and hope.

I want to greet my family.

And, of course, to the family of our president Gustavo Petro.

I want to greet my community, my people in Yolombó, my people from Suarez, Cauca, my people from the department of Cauca, from the Pacific, from the Colombian Caribbean.

Thank you very much, brothers and sisters.

In a special way I want to greet my movements I am because we are.

I also want to greet the Polo Democrático Alternativo and its president, Alexander López.

I want to salute the Historic Covenant.

And, of course, I want to greet with love and joy the Broad Front that led this entire process.

Thank you, brothers and sisters, for having walked with us all these months, for having believed that it was possible to change the history of Colombia.

I greet the women of Colombia, all my sisters, my comadres.

Thank you for having accompanied me and for having accompanied Gustavo Petro on this path.

I want to greet the Colombian youth who put on the shirt.

To the boys and girls who were also present with joy in this dream.

To the teachers, teachers, workers.

To the disabled community that was also present.

To the indigenous people who stood firm.

To the peasant people, to my people, the Raizal and Palenquera Afro-descendant community.

Brothers and sisters, we have taken a very important step forward.

After 214 years, we achieved a government of the people, a popular government, the government of the people, with calloused hands.

The government of the common people.

The government of the nobodies and the nobodies of Colombia.

Come on, brothers and sisters, reconcile this nation.

We are going for peace decisively, without fear, with love and with joy.

We go for dignity.

We go for social justice.

We women are going to eradicate patriarchy in our country.

We stand up for the rights of the diverse LGBTQ+ community.

Colombian Elections