Recently, the President of the Republic, Gustavo Petro, visited Santa Marta as part of a new day of Government with the People, from where he launched strong criticism of what he called the “Colombian oligarchy.”
During a public event in which he met with the community, the president accused the “oligarchy” of suffering from a “mental problem.”
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These striking statements arose when questioning the prioritization of 4G road projects by other governments, to the detriment of aqueduct and sewage projects in several regions of the country.
“I asked the Minister of Housing how much it would cost to provide drinking water and sewage to all of Colombia. What would the cost be? Because this is a widespread problem. Even in Bogotá, today, this problem persists. She answered me that it would be 100 billion pesos. Billions, that is, a million million. 100 billion. How much did all 4G routes cost? I asked the Minister of Transport. More or less? At current costs, Mr. President. Construction and operation costs, 126 billion pesos. So, we have a mental problem in our Colombian oligarchy,” Petro said.
He continued questioning: “Why? In the previous years, which have been several, it is not just about one government, not just the previous one, why did they choose to spend 120 billion on large highways that are generally around the two richest cities in Colombia, maybe three, and in the wealthiest sectors of the country, 120 billion that have valued the lands, properties, and homes of our friends who do not share our political vision, but the supply of drinking water was not prioritized.”
He considered this “absurd, irrational, inhumane,” arguing that, even if he tripled the budget allocated by the previous government to drinking water and environmental sanitation, from 300 billion to one trillion pesos a year, it would still take a century to solve the problem. .
“If all this costs 100 billion, in mathematical terms, it would take a century. How can we tell the Colombian population that it will take a century to solve the problem of drinking water supply in Colombia? “That is something that could generate violence,” the president concluded.
The words of President Gustavo Petro about the 4G roads and the collection that have been proposed by the Government of Antioquia did not go down well with the people of Antioquia, who have been the main promoters of the proposal, which would also benefit all drivers in the territory. national. Precisely, one of the greatest exponents of the measure alluded to the president’s words.
This is former president Álvaro Uribe Vélez, who responded to Petro, one of his greatest political rivals in recent years, on his social networks.
The considered top leader of the Democratic Center stressed that 4G routes are not to benefit the “rich”, but are “necessary” in a country like Colombia, characterized by backwardness in multiple areas. Likewise, the former president explained that the construction of such road corridors would promote certain positive aspects in the national territory.
“4G is not to “solve the problems of the rich”are as necessary as tertiary roads in a country as backward in infrastructure as ours. It is not an issue of rich and poor, it is one of competitiveness, employment, possibilities for capital, work and for Government resources.“, noted the Antioquian.
