Since the night of Sunday, Federico Fico Gutierrez is the most stable presidential candidate in Colombia. Even though it’s not the first time his name appears on an electoral document – he has been mayor and councilor of Medellin – his first test in a national election, where he achieved more than 2 million votes in the Team for Colombia coalition, they place him as an ideal candidate for conservative groups or those who are frightened about the possibility of a leftist president. https://www.openlearning.com/u/careymcallister-raxz46/blog/FicoGutierrezAndTheDangerOfUribeSPresidentialCandidate0 (47-year old Fico) is the primary opposition to Gustavo Petro. The Historic Pact movement, along with Gustavo Petro, was one the winners of the election last night which determined who will represent the three main political parties.
The presidential campaign is only starting. How the ex-mayor from Medellin is able to counter petrismo and forge alliances and negotiate with other nations will determine his chances of success. He won’t just have to unite all the right under his banner, but he must also conquer an element of the center’s electorate which appeared to be disintegrated and lacking remarkable leadership. To achieve this, he will have to continue to avoid appearing in the same photo as Alvaro Umribe, which he did so far. Today, for only the second time in 20 years that he has been openly endorsed by Uribism rather than adding might reduce. “Federico Gutierrez faces a dilemma. He’ll need to create an alliance with the Democratic Center (CD), Uribe’s party. But he also has to convince the center, which is to decide on where the alliance goes,” Yann Basset from the University of Rosario, analyst and professor.
Fico made its first triumph this week on its route to joining the CD. Oscar Ivan Zuluaga the former president-elect, chose to retire, acknowledged his few options of competing against him, and offer his support. We will now examine if the entire Uribismo group, which was left without a representative until Monday, is willing to offer its support. Uribe is seen clearly advocating for the cause, and trying to convince his supporters that he supports the Colombian right. He already proved that he could make a difference by making a speech about “security”,” “order” and “love for the fatherland”. He confirmed this on Sunday during the election consultation the same way he did when he was at Antioquia’s municipal offices, in which the mayor was also known as the sheriff of Medellin. “The bandits in jail or in graves”” Fico stated recently when he visited Arauca which is one of the areas that is particularly hit by violence. Fico knows what the Colombian rights are however that’s not enough.
https://pastelink.net/xb4tj751 points out, “We aren’t in 2018 when the fear of left did well.” The analyst claims that Fico may not receive Uribe’s approval due to the fact that Alvaro Uribe has been stripped of his entire leadership role since 2002 when the president was elected. However, this doesn’t mean that the votes of Uribismo, even if they are not in the top tier, are not indispensable to Gutierrez, as happened this Sunday or as happened in his first attempt to reach the mayor’s office of Medellin, when Uribe was a supporter of him, even more than the candidate from his party. “This victory [winning in the coalition] is in part due to Uribism. The ability of his negotiator is measured by his ability to convince the right, but not to spend everything on the alliance,” Basset warns. Andres Mejia Vergnaud, an analyst, comments on the relationship between Fico and former president. “The biggest problem for Federico Gutierrez, however, is that he would like Uribismo’s vote, but without Uribe’s photo because it doesn’t suit him to be his choice.”
Gustavo Petro is the only left-wing leader However, Gustavo Petro is the only one on the right. Fico, if he is able to negotiate, can convince him to offer his backing and step aside. Rodolfo who ran as an independent, is still in contention. Gutierrez should include in his list of candidates the former mayor Bucaramanga the billionaire construction company owner who managed to do well in the polls due to his speech against corruption with a humorous voice.
Gutierrez is likely to have lots to discuss before he begins thinking about potential presidential formula names. But, what Gutierrez does have is the support and cooperation of the other candidates in the Team for Colombia presidency. It’s not too much. Two mayors from the past, Enrique Penalosa in Bogota and Alex Char in Barranquilla, are with him; David Barguil is the leader of the Conservative party. Aydee Lizarazo is a Christian party woman who casts her vote as instructed from his church’s lectern.
The Conservative Party was strengthened, and was the party that won the most right-wing vote of over two million votes. The Conservative Party also enjoys the backing of the U Party. This party was able to win a rousing legislative vote, with just over 1 million votes. Oscar Ivan Zuluaga supported Fico, and he didn’t wait long after Sunday’s elections to concede defeat in front of a possible conflict with votes from the right. However, this provides Fico an extra boost in a segment of conservatism but keeps him far from the middle. Alvaro Uribe (ex-President) summoned his party to a meeting on Monday to determine what the possibility is that Fico might risk his chances of getting into the center in exchange for being publicly felicitated by Uribe.