By Constanza Mazzotti and Pamela Cruz
Francia Márquez, the virtual vice-president of Colombia made her first speech this Sunday, June 19, alongside the also virtual president Gustavo Petro, in which she recalled that, after 214 years of history, this will finally have a government of and for the people.
"Brothers and sisters, we have taken a very important step forward. After 214 years we achieved a government of the people, a popular government, of the people of the calloused hands, the government of the people on foot, the government of the nobodies of Colombia. Brothers and sisters, we are going to reconcile this nation", said Márquez visibly moved by the triumph of the Historic Pact coalition.
At around 7:33 p.m., Francia, the now virtual Afro-Colombian first vice-president, took the stage at the Movistar Arena in Bogota, to announce that the new government, which will take effect on August 7, will go for peace "decisively, without fear, with love and joy".
"Let's go for dignity and social justice. Let's go women to eradicate patriarchy in our country. Let's go for the rights of the LGBTIQ+ diverse community, let's go for the rights of our mother earth? to take care of biodiversity, and let's go together to root out structural racism," Márquez stressed.
France thanked all the Colombian people who voted for the Petro-Márquez duo on this election day.
"I want to thank all Colombian men and women who gave their lives for this moment, for all our brothers and sisters social leaders who sadly were murdered in this country; the youth who have been murdered and disappeared; the women who have been raped and disappeared and all of them who from somewhere are accompanying us in this historic moment for Colombia."
"We thank you for having made the journey, thank you for having sown the seed of resistance and hope," he said.
Francia Márquez, Afro-descendant woman and now virtual vice-president of Colombia, also thanked the teachers, the workers of the people, the indigenous and peasants for having remained "steadfast" in the electoral process.
With 100 percent of the tables counted, the Historical Pact of Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez obtained 50.44 percent of all votes cast in the second round of the presidential elections in Colombia, which meant a total of 11,281,013 ballots in their favor.
The duo's speech at the Movistar Arena in Bogota was attended by supporters of the duo, who cheered and applauded to celebrate what they consider to be the greatest democratic triumph in the country.
This note was made with the support of a group of journalists who cover the first-round elections in Colombia, sponsored by Global Exchange in collaboration with Peninsula 360 Press.
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