Colombian elections: Opinion versus machinery
From 2019 onwards, every high school graduate would have free college education in public universities, at a yearly cost of 14 trillion COP, approximately 1.5% of GDP, to be financed by reducing other less important public investments, such as the 4G road system. By constitutional mandate, the justice system would be independent of the yearly budget, eliminating its dependence on the executive. These are some of the proposals of Gustavo Petro, the leftist candidate portraying himself as a “progresist”, which apparently resonates with enough people to catapult him into first place in the polls. These proposals have a populist inspiration, but of an interesting brand. He is not appealing to the unemployed or the poor. He is appealing to young Colombian voters who are in favor of free college education, fervently support green energy and the peace agenda, and abhor what they see as the corrupt political elite that has governed Colombia for decades.
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