Petro prepares the official image of the Government with the phrase "The magic of Colombia"

The river of 7 colors: Colombia's commitment to tourism 0:41

(CNN Spanish) --

The elected president of Colombia, Gustavo Petro, announced this Thursday that he is preparing with his team the launch of the official image of his Government.

"Preparing the official image in the Serranía de la Macarena. The immensity of biodiversity and its climates. The magic of Colombia, world power of life," tweeted the one who will be the president of Colombians from this August 7.

Then he published a video on his social networks with images of the trip to the place, in the center of Colombia, in the company of members of the National Police, for the filming of the campaign, in which he wore the presidential sash.

Now, to the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta.

pic.twitter.com/60EdS6dPf0

– Gustavo Petro (@petrogustavo) August 4, 2022

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In the images you can see Caño Cristales, or better known as the river of 7 colors, it is a natural attraction located in the Sierra de La Macarena National Natural Park, in the Colombian department of Meta, in the Orinoquía.

And this is the card that President-elect Gustavo Petro will play to boost tourism and leave behind the extractivist economy in the area.  

The region was for a long time controlled by the now demobilized FARC guerrilla.

It now receives about 14,000 tourists a year, according to Reuters.

According to Armando Benedetti, a former senator and member of Petro's campaign team—and a possible government official—he said on Twitter that "The magic of Colombia will be seen in every government office."

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Caño Cristales: Colombia's impressive "Río de los Cinco Colores" is located in the Sierra de la Macarena National Park, in the department of Meta.

Click through the gallery to see more photos of this rainbow river (Courtesy ProColombia) →

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The Right Time: From June to November, the months between the wet and dry seasons, river plants put on a colorful show.

(Courtesy ProColombia)

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In red: the colors are produced during the reproductive process of aquatic plants called Macarenia clavigera, a species of river algae.

(Courtesy ProColombia)

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Protecting the River: During the dry season, the river is closed to the public to allow the ecology of the area to recover from the impact of visitors.

(Courtesy ProColombia)

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Controlled Access: The tourism board has also placed a limit on tourists visiting the river, with only 200 people allowed per day, in groups no larger than seven.

(Courtesy ProColombia)

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Wildlife: The abundance of wildlife is another draw.

Turtles, iguanas and eagles, the national bird of Colombia, are just some of the local species in the area (Courtesy ProColombia)

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Sierra de la Macarena National Park: Most tours last two to four days and will take you to other areas of the park, which are well worth a visit.

(Courtesy ProColombia)

This is how Petro and Colombia arrive at the new presidential period

Petro comes to power as the first leftist leader to govern the country in its history.

His management position will be until 2026. So far he has appointed half of the cabinet (see the appointees here) and has pending key appointments such as the Minister of the Interior, of Labor and the director of the National Planning Department. .

In recent weeks his team has made a connection with the outgoing administration and this week the president-elect's group said in its report that the resources for the Solidarity Income in Colombia are not contemplated in the budget for 2023 presented by the Government of Iván Duque .

The junction coordinator, Daniel Rojas, stated that the team is of "great concern" about the country's fiscal reality and described the level of indebtedness and deficit as "critical."

Therefore, in his words, increasing collection is an "imperative."

• When will Gustavo Petro take office?

Petro has been noticeably absent in recent days: on Tuesday he did not attend a scheduled event with more than 400 mayors as part of the Colombian Federation of Municipalities, something that upset many of the local leaders.

In his place, Petro sent the joint coordinators Alfonso Prada and Luis Fernando Velasco.

Colombia, like other countries in the region, is going through a challenging economic time, with inflation skyrocketing and the peso seriously undervalued against the dollar.

Critics say that Petro's plan so that Colombia no longer has an extractivist oil economy model influences to discourage foreign investment, destabilize markets and depreciate the currency.

The inauguration of August 7 takes place in the Plaza de Bolívar in Bogotá and includes a speech by the president of Congress and the president-elect.

Leaders and presidents of other countries attend.

The Government of Joe Biden announced the US delegation that will be in office, headed by Gregory Meeks, president of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the House of Representatives.

In July, Petro met with the US ambassador, Francisco Palmieri.

That August 7, the outgoing president Iván Duque will leave the Casa de Nariño, residence and seat of government, to hand it over to the new president who will govern from there.

• This is the life of Gustavo Petro in data: age, studies, family...

With information from Angela Reyes and Rafael Romo

Gustavo Petro