One day before attending the inauguration ceremony of the Plaza de Bolívar, the president-elect, Gustavo Petro, and the elected vice president, Francia Márquez, were in the “spiritual popular possession” in Bogota.
(Read: Gustavo Petro: these are the details of the presidential possession this Sunday)
The event, convened by various social organizations, took place in Tercer Milenio, in the south of Bogotá, and sought to “harmonize, from ancestral spirituality, the beginning of this new cycle in the history of the Colombian peoples,” says the statement.
In addition, both Petro and Márquez were given the “Popular Mandate that collects the feelings of the organized people for the strengthening of popular power.”
“The importance of this symbolic act lies in the recognition of the unprecedented possibility of the popular sectors, not only to be a government from the institutional instances, but also to pave the way for the construction and constitution of popular power, which allows the practical exercise of a political, economic and cultural sovereignty within everyone’s reach”, expressed the organizations.
Upon his arrival, the new head of state said: “Here begins a government that will fight for environmental justice. Being able to balance ourselves with nature is the substantial basis of life. Without that balance between human beings and the planet, life will not be possible for us”. Later, Petro received the “ceremonial vows” by the elders of the indigenous communities.
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Petro pointed out that “more and more popular organization is needed throughout Colombia. The President of the Republic summons them to organize. And undoubtedly that plurality and multiculturalism must be unified in the midst of diversity”.
In the Parque Tercer Milenio, the popular and spiritual possession of Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez took place.
The elected vice president referred to the “popular mandate” that was conferred on them by the elders and the different communities of the country.
In turn, the new vice president, Francia Márquez, expressed: “The government of nobodies and nobodies begins. And we go from resistance to power until dignity becomes a habit. Let’s go, Colombia, to be a world power of life. Let’s go together for tasty living. Let’s go brothers and sisters for peace, for dignity and for justice for our people”.
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Additionally, Márquez insisted on his call for the consolidation of a ‘Great national deal’ to work on respect for life, for peace. “You have to build a nation that sees the difference and does not want to exterminate the other, but rather a nation to build from diversity,” he said.
It is worth remembering that Petro had already made another ancestral possession with the Arhuaca indigenous community in the Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta. There he received two canes and other materials from the indigenous elders.
popular mandate
During the act, the social, popular and alternative movements, the ethnic peoples and communities present in the “spiritual and popular possession” expressed a message to the president-elect, Gustavo Petro and the vice-president Francia Márquez “with the iron hope of a present and a better future for Colombia”.
We share our profound feeling of happiness and responsibility for the arrival in the Colombian government of this political project, born in the bowels of the people and characterized by the interest of contributing to the change and reality of our beloved country.
We remember the thousands of political actions, community meetings and mobilizations throughout the country that we have contributed to this path and the accumulation of spirit and transformation to reach this popular victory today.
POLITICAL DRAFTING