Colombia’s first left-wing president, Gustavo Petro, came to power two years ago, on August 7, 2022. Elected on the promise of ambitious social reforms, which he has struggled to push through due to a lack of majority in Congress, the head of state has come up against the violence of armed groups still active in the drug trade to achieve the “total peace” to which he aspires. In an interview with Le Monde, Petro calls for the worldwide decriminalization of drugs to achieve this. On the subject of Nicolas Maduro’s victory in the Venezuelan presidential election, declared by the Chavist government and contested by the opposition, he calls on Caracas to carry out a “transparent” and “internationally controlled” vote count.
Before the presidential election in Venezuela on July 28, you tried in vain to get the government and opposition to sign a document in which they would agree to recognize the results of the vote.
For months now, Mexico has been trying, with the help of Norway, or I have tried with the United States and Europe, to build a framework to ensure that the political situation in Venezuela does not turn into a violent armed conflict. If that were to happen, it would inevitably impact Colombia. Venezuela’s path must be one of peace and democracy. In a democracy, there are no exceptions: The people must have the power to elect their leaders.
Where do you stand on the current situation?
Whatever the will of the Venezuelan people, Colombia will respect it. This is a delicate moment, and all parties must be prepared to manage it peacefully. We are awaiting the observers’ report, and we also call on the Venezuelan government to proceed with a transparent vote count, under international supervision. We are in constant contact with all sectors of Venezuela to guarantee the best for the future of Venezuelans, and we are convinced that all political players will respect the people’s final decision.
What has been your greatest satisfaction in the first two years of your term?
It is undoubtedly poverty reduction. After a very sharp increase with the Covid-19-related crisis, our policies have lifted 1.6 million people out of poverty in 2023, compared with 2022, i.e. 10% fewer poor people [the poverty rate today stands at 33% nationally, but 41% in rural areas].
This has been made possible by a series of measures linked to agricultural policy, the most important of which are the increase in the minimum wage [+12% in 2024] and the reduction in the price of food goods. The agricultural policy, stemming from the obligations of the 2016 peace agreement, involves giving land to poor peasants and protecting the country’s food production.
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