Colombia's Political Landscape and Leadership

What worries you?

He has no management experience.

Look, they always try to tell you that the company and the entrepreneur and 'I did...'

That has nothing to do with it.

The country is not a company.

You have millions of things that you will never touch or deal with in a company.

So, management is what worries me.

Look.

Who has Colombia in this state today?

Who had been in government?

So it's not a guarantee, Fernando.

I'm not Abelardo's official defender, nor was I in his campaign,

working on his campaign, or anything like that.

But they used to say that to me.

Do you think it's the best option?

No, it's not the best.

Of the two there were.

There were two options.

It's valid.

Without a doubt.

But you're not going to say you're 100% sure it won't work.

Without a doubt, it's much better to have hope that the country can take another path,

another direction, to start a new history in some way,

than to remain in the hands of Cepeda and Petro, which was death.

Valid, but it's no guarantee.

Our country is finished.

No one is a guarantee.

Okay, perfect.

When Petro won, it was about change.

And millions of Colombians fell in love with change, and he didn't do a damn thing.

It's the same thing Abelardo is offering.

So, what is Abelardo saying?

That hopefully he delivers.

Hopefully he delivers.

We have to give him the opportunity to deliver.

Now, between journalists.

Yes.

A person with no management experience, what does it look like they have?

He has to surround himself with the right people.

Okay, perfect.

He has a very good vice president and is promising to surround himself with the right people.

So, you mean it will be the business model where you surround yourself with qualified people to delegate?

Yes, but you have to be a great leader, you have to listen,

you have to understand what Colombia's problems are,

but you don't need to know how to print money,

nor do you have to know how to shoot,

no, because that is a lie.

You can become the best president in Colombia's history

if you surround yourself with the right people, if you are decent, if you don't steal.

If the incoming government here doesn't steal a single peso,

fights corruption, and fights the criminals who have had absolutely all the benefits.

We are up to our necks in cocaine.

Fernando, that is a blessing.

So, that is the hope that grew in Colombia around Abelardo de la Espriella.

You said it very well.

The distance is very short.

Between the two, is there a divided country?

Yes, there is a divided country.

What challenge does Abelardo face?

Governing for everyone.

Wisdom.

Governing for everyone, respecting rights.

He has to do it.

He has to do it.

And I believe that a presidency is not a blank check.

I believe that Abelardo does not have a blank check.

I believe he has to deliver because expectations are very high.

He said he was fighting the same old crowd,

that he was different, that he is like nothing before.

He said he is going to have an anti-corruption search bloc,

that he is going to build 10 mega-prisons, that he is going to fight the corrupt.

As a citizen, I hope that he fulfills all of that.

If he fulfills that, Fernando, we are going to have the best government in a long time.

Hopefully, that's the case.

The best government in the world.

But if not, society, journalists, the media,

we will have to be there.

To monitor.

To monitor, to watch.

Now, the issue of the United States is very important, Fernando,

and we need them.

Some criticize that Trump intervened in the elections.

But Petro also intervened, and he wasn't allowed to.

But Petro is Colombian.

Trump's involvement is foreign interference.

But I'm going to tell you one thing.

Aside from that debate, which I understand,

we need the United States.

Alone, we cannot fight cocaine,

nor will we be able to recover…

The relationship for the fight against drug trafficking is historic,

and judicial support to the United States.

That's right, and we won't be able to fight the criminals

who are stronger, richer, and more pervasive.