True to Purpose

With humility and honor, I want to tell the Colombian people that I am going to put all, absolutely all my energy into unifying our country—no more divisions; let us think of Colombia as a country for all of us. This is an opportunity for us to be united against all those things that have harmed Colombia throughout history, such as corruption, politicking, and cronyism. We must have a united Colombia that brings corruption to a total and resounding defeat that can be felt throughout the country.

We are going to govern with transparency and efficiency, and we are going to give citizens back their hope so they can believe again in the institutions. We will be a united country for that purpose. Today, as we talk about these lawful challenges, we should also focus on security along with justice. This will lead us to a society both free from fear and at peace. Our goal is to create a consensus so that Colombia has credible justice that is more effective and closer to the citizen. We are going to promote this broad consensus that the country is demanding so justice will be closer to all citizens, all over the country.
When we talk about that longed-for legality, we must understand that peace in Colombia is a desire of all of us and we need to turn the page, no longer divided between friends and enemies of peace. Today, we are all in favor of building that peace and, above all, it must be the type of peace that allows guerrilla groups to cultivate the desire of demobilizing, disarming, and reintegrating. A peace that enables public investment to come to those places hit by violence, in order to have sustainable productive projects and for victims to be the center of the process so we can guarantee justice, reparation, truth, and no repetition.
The peace we yearn for is the one that has to lead us to a healthy debate of ideas where protection of life, honor, and the goods of Colombian people prevail. This rule of law is also inviting us to send a message to all Colombian heroes, police force members, and their families. I want to be the president who restores their faith and their trust and who can carry the desired “veteran law” forward so that Colombian society can thank them for their services provided.
This government we are about to build, along with the first female vice president in Colombian’s history, Marta Lucí­a Ramí­rez, will be the government that will take the entire of Colombia to entrepreneurship, since we want to make our country the land of micro, small, medium, and large enterprises that generate jobs, defeat poverty, and allow the middle class to expand. For that purpose, we are going to make the tax system simpler so that the nation allows all those who want to start a business be successful. We will do it with full respect for the fiscal responsibility and free entrepreneurship to build a country of opportunities. We will work on extensive rural reform in order to bring public services, quality of housing, education, and healthcare to a rural population that has felt excluded for so many years. This will be the country that generates fraternity between employers and farm workers, as well as a strong harmony between agroindustry and the small producer, so that Colombian products are known around the world and drive our economy. That is the same Colombia that I want to share with young people that yearn for science, technology, and innovation; the Orange Economy, the power of culture, and the force of innovative transformation. This is the country we are going to build.
Our country must be the country of environmental sustainability. We are going to protect our páramos, rivers, our variety of ecosystems, flora, and fauna. We will promote electric vehicles. We will be the country of waste reduction, reuse, and recycling—a 21st century ethical country that protects nature and generates entrepreneurship while producing and preserving. Likewise, we are working on a program that includes culture and sports activities because we consider that the talents of Colombian people are the best heritage we have.