On July 20, the next Congress will take office and the senators and representatives elected on March 13 will begin to exercise functions, waiting for the new president of Colombia to take office.
That will happen on August 7, when Gustavo Petro arrives at the Casa de Nariño to replace Iván Duque during the 2022-2026 period.
Although the statute of the opposition gives up to a month following the inauguration of the new president for the parties to define their position once morest the new government, several communities have already ‘sung’ that they will accompany Petro during his administration.
The Historical Pact ―Gustavo Petro’s bench―, the Commons Party, La U, Alianza Verde, the representatives of the indigenous seats and the Liberal Party declared themselves in government. The liberals will be for legislative matters, but they will surely end up fully supporting the president-elect.
The Conservative Party and the Mira made the decision to be independent parties although, for now, they have said that they will support the legislative agenda.
In the case of Cambio Radical there are still no substantive decisions, but it is ruled out that they support Petro, so they would be independent or in opposition, but that final decision will be made in the first weeks of July.
For this reason, Federico Gutiérrez, who obtained more than five million votes in the first presidential round, expressed his concern and announced that he would oppose Gustavo Petro.
“We will make a serious and responsible opposition to the Petro Government. Among many things, I am concerned regarding the $50 billion tax reform, the health reform ending the EPS, the pension system reform (by appropriating savers’ money). And others more”, he said on Twitter.
The concerns of the former presidential candidate lie in the speculations that have occurred in recent days regarding the reforms that Gustavo Petro would bring to Congress, where he already has the majority to carry them out without any problem.
For this, the Historical Pact will nominate Roy Barreras as the next president of Congress to lead the legislative agenda of the president-elect.
Throughout the presidential campaign, Fico Gutiérrez showed his concern regarding the possibility that Petro eliminate the EPS, the pension reform and the large amount of a tax.
As Rodolfo Hernández, called to assume the opposition in Congress, said that he will not do that task, Gutiérrez will assume that role of opposition to the Government of Gustavo Petro.
In legislative matters, the only party that will take the same position as the former presidential candidate will be the Democratic Center, a group that with its 28 congressmen will closely monitor the claims of the new president of Colombia.
For this reason, the senators in charge of this opposition political exercise will be: Miguel Uribe, María Fernanda Cabal, Alirio Barrera, Andrés Guerra, Esteban Quintero, Paola Holguín, Paloma Valencia, Enrique Cabrales, Carlos Manuel Meisel, Ciro Ramírez, José Vicente Carreño, Honorio Enríquez, Yenny Rozo and María Angélica Guerra. However, Guerra might leave the Legislature because the final vote would take a seat from the Democratic Center.
In the House of Representatives will be: Andres Forero, Carlos Edward Osorio, Christian Garces, Edison Olaya, Eduar Triana, Hernan Cadavid, John Jairo Berrio, Jose Uscategui, Juan Philip Corzo, Juan Fernando Espinel, Olmes Echeverria, Oscar Darius Perez, Oscar Villamizar, Yenica Acosta and Yulieth Sanchez.
Different political sectors have criticized the traditional parties for declaring themselves in government and expressing their full support for Gustavo Petro, considering that they are handing a blank check to a new administration that has not been clear regarding the legislative agenda it will present.
For example, Omar Yepes, president of the Conservative Party, announced that he will present his resignation in the coming days due to the decision made by some legislators to support the president-elect. In Yepes’ opinion, the determination is not consistent with what was done in the presidential campaign and for this reason, he prefers to step aside.
