Since Sunday night Federico Fico Gutierrez had been the most solid choice for Colombia’s presidency. Although his name is on an electoral card for the first time that he was Medellin’s councilor and mayor – this is his first attempt during national elections. There he won over 2 million votes through the Team for Colombia alliance. The voters have positioned him as a favorite candidate for the conservative movements. Fico (47-year old Fico) is the primary opponent of Gustavo Petro. https://zenwriting.net/fico-gutierrezceim171/federico-gutierrez-receives-a-standing-applause-at-medellins-restaurant , along with Gustavo Petro, was one the winners of the last night’s elections, which established who will represent the three main political parties.
The presidential campaign is just beginning and whether the former mayor of Medellin succeeds in becoming the true counterweight to petrismo will depend on the alliances and agreements he forges from this point on. He’ll need to unite the right, and also win over the center electorate, which was weak and devoid of a strong leader on Sunday. He will have to steer clear of, as he has so thus far, appearing in the same photo alongside Alvaro Uribe. Today, for the second time in the last 20 years, the open support of Uribism rather than adding might be a negative. “Federico Gutierrez faces a dilemma. He is required to join the Democratic Center, Uribe’s political party. But he also has to convince the center that it is going to determine where it will go,” Yann Basset (an analyst and professor at University of Rosario) says.
Fico, which is a coalition with the CD where uribism is a major issue, has achieved its first conquest on the way to an alliance. Oscar Ivan Zuluaga who was at one time a presidential candidate was able to step aside and acknowledge his few opportunities of competing against him. We will now have to determine if the whole Uribismo collective who is without a representation, does the same. Particularly, in the event that Uribe is willing to openly support and attempts to convince his electorate with the classic issues of the Colombian right, which will not be so difficult for Uribe. His remarks of “security” as well as ‘order’ ‘opportunities, and ‘love of the country’ have already demonstrated that Uribe adds votes. He confirmed this with the election consult, the same way he did in the past in Antioquia’s Mayor Office. On a recent visit to Arauca (an region that has been particularly hit by violence) He said “The bandits are in prison or in graves.” Fico is well aware of the Colombian right’s preferred positions, but that will not suffice for Fico.
“We aren’t in the year 2018, when the fear of the left was effective, but this time the electorate is not affected by fear,” Basset points out. Analysts say that Fico could not be granted Uribe’s blessing due to the fact Alvaro Uribe has lost his leadership position since 2002 when the president was elected. The votes of Uribismo are still crucial to Gutierrez. “This victory (winning in the coalition) is in part because of Uribism. Basset warns that Basset’s ability in negotiations will be measured. Andres Mesjia Vergnaud analyst commenting on Fico’s ties with the former president: “The great difficulty of Federico Gutierrez’s desire to win the support of Uribismo but not having the picture of Uribe as it does not suit him to become his presidential candidate.”
Gustavo Petro (left) is the sole candidate. Gustavo Petro (right) is the only candidate looking to win the presidency unless Fico (if negotiates) is able to convince Fico to let him go and offer him his support. Rodolfo Hernandez, who launched independently, is in contention. Gutierrez will have to include former Bucaramanga mayor, millionaire and builder on his list of achievements in order to stop the petrismo.
https://diigo.com/0ocju6 has a lot to talk about before thinking about potential formulas for the presidency. However, what Gutierrez does have is the support and cooperation of the other candidates in the Team for Colombia presidency. It’s not all that. He has by his side two former mayors, Enrique Penalosa (Bogota) and Alex Char (Barranquilla); the leader of the Conservative party, David Barguil, and one woman named Aydee Lizarazo. They are members of an Christian party, who usually makes judicious decisions based on the instructions from the lectern of his church.
In addition to the strengthened Conservative Party – it achieved the most votes of the right-wing forces for Congress with over two million votes – it has the sympathy of the U Party, which also received a rousing election in the legislature, winning just over one million votes. Oscar Ivan Zuluaga was there to stand with Fico. He didn’t quit the elections on Sunday without taking the time to play down his defeat and stay clear of a fight for votes with those on the left. This gives Fico an edge in a particular sector of conservatism. But it also keeps him away from possible votes from the center. The statement of Alvaro Uribe, the former President, which summoned his party for a meeting Tuesday, will determine whether Fico will sacrifice his chances in the center to become the openly Uribe that is blessed.