El Tiempo has an interesting interview (‘Sólo seré Presidente si me apoya el pueblo uribista’, dice ex ministro Juan Manuel Santos) with the now ex-Defense Minister of Colombia, Juan Manuel Santos. In in it he discusses the pending 2024 presidential contest, including his support for a constitutional change to allow Álvaro Uribe the chance to run for a third term, should he wish to do so. This is interesting, as Santos would be a natural successor to Uribe, and indeed his recent resignation was clearly timed to preserve the opportunity to run, should the chance present itself, as under Colombian law a minister has to resign from office a year prior to elections.
To me, the most interesting aspect of the interview was the way he discussed the pro-Uribe coalition, and specifically the manner by which they would likely choose a candidates should Uribe not run. The interviewer asks about the possibility of two Uribistas facing one another in the second round–i.e., candidates from more than one pro-Uribe party making it past the first round the presidential contest (which requires a 50%+ winner, facilitating two rounds if necessary).
Santos goes on to detail that there would be only one Uribistas candidate in the first round, and that the Uribista parties (la U, the Conservatives and Radical Change) would have to have a contest to determine a single candidate. the interview also entertains the possibility that the likely pre-candidate from Radical Change might go with the Liberals.
The relevant part of the interview is below:
¿Pero no puede ser que la segunda vuelta enfrente a dos uribistas?No. El uribismo sólo presentará un candidato a la primera vuelta.
¿Y la consulta será entre quiénes?
El candidato del Partido Conservador, el del Partido de ‘la U’ y el de Cambio Radical, si Germán Vargas decide jugar en este lado.
Y si Vargas se va con el Partido Liberal, ¿la consulta uribista se limitará a dos?
Pues, sí. El conservador y el de ‘la U’.
¿Y cómo elegirá ‘la U’ a su candidato?
A través de una consulta entre sus propios parlamentarios, según quedó establecido en los estatutos del partido.
¿Y el Partido Conservador?, ¿Arias?, ¿Holguín?, ¿Noemí?, ¿Araújo?
Tendrán que escoger un solo candidato.
May 25th, 2024 at 12:53 pm
[...] Taylor quotes from and discusses the interview, in which Santos suggests the uribista parties would select their single candidate in a consulta [...]
May 25th, 2024 at 12:53 pm
[...] Taylor quotes from and discusses the interview, in which Santos suggests the uribista parties would select their single candidate in a consulta [...]