The vallecaucanos Gabriel Velasco Y Christian Garces They assure that they are not only united by a friendship that they have been consolidating during their careers in the country’s politics.
They want to repeat the duo in the Congress of the republic for him Democratic Center. Velasco, in the Senateand Garces, in the House of Representatives.
“This Senate and Chamber formula will continue to defend and manage the projects and resources that the Valley del Cauca by the Nation”, says Christian Garcés with his colleague, who have been touring different locations in the department, taking into account that the campaign is getting tighter and time is running out.
The Democratic Center has had two seats since 2018 in the Chamber, when it reached the third best vote to reach this corporation from Valle del Cauca. On that occasion he scored 142,165.
But will he be able to sustain those seats and get a third?
In the Senate there are two more seats for Valle del Cauca. Today, in addition to Velasco, John Hárold Suárez, former mayor of Buga, who also wants to repeat in that corporation, was also elected four years ago.
(Also read: This was answered by Mayor Jorge Iván Ospina to Óscar Iván Zuluaga)
Gabriel Velasco and Christian Garcés, in their campaign as a formula for Congress.
Photo:From video by @gabrieljvelasco
In the case of Velasco and Garcés, they bet on it once again being the formula to maintain their seats, and security in Cali and Valle del Cauca have been one of the battle horses in this campaign that is getting more and more alive. while questioning the mayor of the city, Jorge Iván Ospina.
Both candidates consider that security in the region has high rates of homicides and other crimes, especially in calli, city where the Ombudsman’s Office issued an early warning in January for the presence of armed groups organized in alliance with forces of the drug trafficking.
Both candidates consider that security in the region has marked rates of homicides and other crimes, especially in Cali
Within the insecurity, the attacks against the Public Force stand out, in the country, as in the southwest, among them, the one that shook the southeast of Cali due to the explosive against a truck with policemen from the Anti-Riot Squad (Esmad) that left 13 uniformed and one civilian injured, on January 8 this year.
In addition, the Ministers of the Interior, Daniel Palacios, and of Defense, Diego Molano, They held a security council at the end of January to analyze the situation and take measures, which included maintaining security with 6,500 police officers and having the support of 2,300 Army soldiers. Likewise, safeguard the corridor of the Cauca River with a river patrol that is used for drug trafficking purposes between Valle and the neighboring department of Cauca.
The most important thing is to continue the fight against drug trafficking, in particular, against the expansion of illicit crops, with special emphasis on the Pacific Region,” explains candidate Christian Garcés in the shadow of the ‘narcos’ and armed groups in the department “To achieve this, we propose that through a Draft Legislative Act we regulate Prior Consultation, when it comes to the use of glyphosate. This is to prevent coca-growing communities from blocking the fight against drugs.”
Meanwhile, the Government Secretariat of Cali reported a decrease in homicides in this capital, comparing what has happened in 2022 with the same period in previous years. “A reduction of 11 percent is observed compared to 2021 and 12 percent, compared to 2020,” says the report.
The Police Metropolitana also reported that the authorities continue to implement operations to counteract crimes and make more arrests. Thus, there are actions to find the whereabouts of the 30 most wanted men in the city, investigated for alleged acts of delinquency and criminality.
It is clear that the critical positions of candidates from the Democratic Center for the district president have not only been registered during this campaign for Congress, but also long before, even during the social outbreak that seriously impacted Cali compared to the rest of the cities in the country, during the national strike since April 28 last year.
These questions had to do with the negotiations between the Mayor’s Office and protesters in the face of 33 blockades that Cali had in 2021.
One of the new triggers in the differences of opinion before Mayor Ospina was the controversy that last week sparked off a video released by Daniel García, also a candidate for the Democratic Center for the Senate, in a vehicle that he was driving with Óscar Iván Zuluaga, candidate for president.
In the video, García asks Zuluaga: “What would you do in Cali if you became president?” and his interlocutor replied: “The priority would be to be in Buenaventura, it is more of an underlying problem and then advice from security in Cali to write a clear letter to the mayor that I am the one in charge here”.
Afterwards, García says “And if the mayor does not accept”, the presidential candidate replies: “Well, we send him to hell (…)”.
In this counterpoint the candidate Garcés joined, who in his Twitter account, states: “The message of Óscar Iván Zuluaga is not for the people of Cali, it is for you. Jorge Ivan Ospina. I do not agree with the words used by our candidate , but ‘shit’ is what you mayor has given the people of Cali to eat”.
In the Secretariat of Peace and Citizen Culture of Cali they recalled the importance of maintaining tolerance and coexistence with the respect that human beings deserve among themselves.
Ospina has responded that “violent language leads to violence” and that it is not a good example for young people or for those who follow presidential campaigns.
To the candidate Zuluaga, the mayor replied: “Is that the language that should be advanced towards a mayor and his citizens? Is that the way in which the idea of doing things in a political campaign should be challenged? Do you know that violent language leads to violence?
Ospina also tells him: “Not only is there a mistake in the way you address the popularly elected mayor of a city, but you contradict the way in which a political campaign should be carried out. I call on all of you to idea campaigns, to the battles that they propose (…) I call on all of you to respect our city, to disarm the spirit, to respect our city”.
Likewise, the candidate Velasco has also referred to other issues related to Cali and Mayor Ospina.
(Also: How would the seats for the House of Representatives for the Valley look?)
“What was an open secret: the mayor of Cali is at the service of Petro. That’s why his complacency with the first line, that’s why his unequivocal intention to promote chaos and stigmatize private enterprise,” the candidate published last 11 February on Twitter, due to the adherence of Mauricio Ospina, brother of the mayor of Cali, to Gustavo Petro’s campaign.
“Today it is absolutely clear to us that the Ospina mayor’s office is in the service of Petro, his brother and all the congressional candidates who joined this campaign.
Is that why he was so permissive during the stoppage and helped the front line?
It couldn’t be clearer!” Velasco says on his social network.
Both Velasco and Garcés agree that they have been ensuring that Cali does things in an appropriate manner and therefore their critical position before the Mayor’s Office.
But in addition to looking at security, other aspects in Cali are also of concern to the Democratic Center candidates. One is mobility.
“The management of the Secretary of Mobility of Cali is simply unfortunate. Last night (February 9) more than 200 motorcycles, many without helmets, once again took over the streets of Cali in total anarchy. Secretary if he is very busy doing politics resign,” says Velasco on his Twitter account.
‘More employment and popular credit’
Garcés and Velasco also maintain their concern about employment issues, reactivation and the economy due to the impact of inflation.
“I spent more than 18 years in the private sector. Today as a Senator I am pushing for a Colombia with vigorous companies, strong families and quality education,” says Velasco.
Given what they consider to be a serious food inflation, Garcés said that he asked the Minister of Agriculture, Rodolfo Zea Navarro, to put into operation the Economic Fund that the Chamber managed within the Bank to support small and medium-sized producers in this situation. “We have surveillance from @sicsuper to avoid speculation,” says the applicant.
In his management, Garcés defends: “Thanks to the Environmental Crimes Law that we support with our positive vote, the Prosecutor’s Office and judges have greater legal tools to prosecute this type of act that destroys the environment. We condemn the deforestation of the Amazon!
Garcés has also been promoting with Velasco to carry out the popular credit proposal to get thousands of Colombians out of the ‘drop by drop’.
(You may be interested: These are the candidates for the House of Representatives for the Valley)
“We will support micro-entrepreneurs and entrepreneurs who generate employment with secure loans and State support.”
“We must focus our efforts so that the economic recovery we are experiencing today translates into more income and formal jobs,” adds Garcés.
The duo has reached Toro, Bolívar and other cities in the north of Valle del Cauca, as well as Dagua and Palmira.
“I remembered the bakery that my dad had in Palmira. It was the engine of our family, thanks to my parents we learned values education and hard work. That’s why today camel for strong families, quality education and vigorous companies,” says Velasco, who He was a manager at Andi in the Valley.
Gabriel Velasco, lawyer and son of a merchant
Gabriel Velasco is a lawyer from the Universidad de los Andes, with a specialization in Business Administration from the Universidad Icesi, in Cali.
He studied with diplomas in Integral Logistics from SINTEC Mexico, and Reinventing Leadership from the Kellogg Management School of North Western University in Chicago.
He was president of Andi in the Valley, as well as director of a dairy products company.
He also held the vice presidency of Metrocali, the firm that guides the actions of the MIO public transportation system in Cali.
Christian Garcés also sought Governorship
Christian Garcés wants to repeat in the House of Representatives.
He is a politician and business administrator from the Icesi University of Cali. He has a specialization in Social Management from the Javeriana University and a master’s degree in Strategic Thinking and Foresight from the Externado de Colombia University.
He began his political career at the age of 15, as a representative of the La Colina Gymnasium school in Cali.
At the age of 26, he was a councilor in the capital of Valle del Cauca.
He has served as deputy for Valle del Cauca, director of departmental planning, governor in charge, manager of the Regional Competitiveness Commission.
He sought to be governor reaching 357,400 votes.
He reached the House of Representatives in the last period for Valle del Cauca with 41,600 votes.
CALI
