Sergio Fajardo assured that the Liberal Party has no identity: “They lost it”

On the morning of this Wednesday, March 23, presidential candidate Sergio Fajardo registered his candidacy with his teammate, former minister Luis Gilberto Murillo. The presidential formula of Centro Esperanza went to the National Civil Status Registry where they ended the process that will allow them to compete in the first round of May 29, in the process they were accompanied by all their colleagues in the Coalition Juan Manuel Galán, Jorge Robledo, Sergio Fajardo, Alejandro Gaviria , Juan Fernando Cristo and others.

On the same day, the decision made by the Liberal Party, led by former President César Gaviria, on who they would support for the electoral contest, was made public. Initially it was believed that the traditional party would support the Historical Pact, but eventually they decided to go with the Team for Colombia, which is supporting the candidacy of former mayor of Medellín Federico Gutiérrez.

Although the decision did not surprise much, since four years ago he had also supported the right-wing candidacy, at that time, that of Iván Duque, if it was a hard blow to the alternative movements of the Historical Pact and the Center Hope Coalition, since both sectors had asked for the support of the liberals.

In response to the news, Fajardo spoke out and pointed out that the group does not represent the liberal ideas that have prevailed for years in Colombian politics. In addition, he criticized that a match like this had only two options in sight.

“It's incredible that a party, with the history that liberalism has in Colombia, what liberal ideas have meant in our country, is thinking today whether it chooses between Duque and Uribe or Petro, that means that they don't have an identity, that they lost it and the liberal people deserve the identity that we are going to give them,” he said Fajardo.

He also assured that the real essence of liberalism in the country is currently represented by the New Liberalism party, led by the Galán brothers. So he appealed to the followers of these ideas: “To all those liberal people, who are many in Colombia, we call upon them to freedom, to defend ideas”.

It is not the first time that the candidate criticizes the traditional party and its top representative. César Gaviria's enmity with Sergio Fajardo has long been known. According to Gaviria's statements to the CM& news last January, in 2018 the liberals received Fajardo's rejection of his possible support in the presidential candidacy, who said he did not need it.

In addition, the former president reiterated to Los Danieles this year that he remains firm in that decision, so the party ranks have “disliked” him. In addition, the former president criticizes that, according to him, he has not presented a solid proposal, which makes his victory impossible.

“He has a position lacking critical ideas, proposals and proposing real reforms. He administers a supposed restraint that seems rather an ignorance of the problems of Colombians, for an electoral purpose, in the name and account of a very questionable morality,” Gaviria told El Tiempo.

The former president extended his criticism of the Esperanza Center Coalition, which he described as “made in the image, whim and benefit (of Fajardo) without making a single concrete proposal.” In addition, he said that the former mayor of Medellín has told him that he is “worn out” as president of the party due to lack of liberal support, so he challenged him to see the election results.

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