"Progressive governments like Colombia's work for social justice."

Transcript of Karina Batthyány's column
in InfoCLACSO – August 9, 2023

Last Monday, August 7th, marked the first anniversary of the government of Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez. A progressive government, the first of its kind in Colombia, which undoubtedly holds central importance not only for that country but also for the entire region.

What do we mean when we talk about progressive governments in Latin America? We are talking about those governments that are characterized by their emphasis on social justice, equality, citizen participation, and the deepening of democracy.

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These progressive governments we've had in Latin America are also characterized by implementing a series of policies aimed at improving the living conditions of everyone, but especially those of the poorest and most marginalized people in Latin American and Caribbean societies. These policies include healthcare programs; education and housing programs; and investments in infrastructure and development in general.

The most common characteristics of progressive governments in Latin America and the Caribbean are intervention or the use of the State to promote social justice, redistribution, equality, citizen participation in decision-making, investment in education, health and housing, economic development based on production and the stimulation of domestic consumption, the pursuit of gender equality and the promotion of regional integration in Latin America and the Caribbean.

When we look at these experiences at the regional level, we can say that they have had a positive impact on the lives of millions of people. They have generally reduced poverty, improved health and education, promoted civic participation, and fostered redistributive policies.

These governments have faced criticism. The main criticisms concern excessive public spending and the interventionist approach of the state. But these are precisely the characteristics of these governments, which have ultimately made a significant difference in the lives of millions of people in our region.

That is undeniable from the perspective of social indicators. Objectively, when we look at the social indicators of countries that have had these progressive governments, they show that situations of poverty and marginalization are indeed overcome by implementing redistributive policies. Ultimately, they show that progressive governments have contributed to improving the quality of life of the poorest, promoting equality and social justice, and strengthening democracy in the region.

Returning to Colombia, let's look at some key points of what has happened in this first year of government in Colombia.

The first point we must highlight is the National Development Plan 2022-2026. This plan has five pillars of transformation: territorial planning around water resources, human security and social justice, the human right to food, productive transformation, internationalization and climate action, and regional integration. These are further underpinned by four cross-cutting themes: comprehensive peace, key actors for change, macroeconomic stability, and a gender-sensitive foreign policy. This 2022-2026 Plan was approved after a lengthy consultation process involving 51 Binding Regional Dialogues, specifically 250.000 dialogues that engaged more than a quarter of a million Colombians.

If we look at one of the themes of this plan, the right to land, we can highlight some outstanding elements from this year. First, the legislative act passed an amendment to the National Political Constitution, recognizing the peasantry as a population entitled to rights and special protection, thus granting them the same rights as ethnic populations. This measure is not only real but also symbolically very important. Furthermore, the agricultural budget was increased: from approximately $390 million under Iván Duque's administration to roughly $1.000 billion, about 2,5 times greater.

Additionally, four Peasant Reserve Zones were approved, and land ownership was formalized, with land being allocated to family units and communities integrated within these zones. During the previous administration's four years, land had been granted to 50,000 families, totaling 1.300.000 hectares. In this year alone, under the progressive government in Colombia, 1.400.000 hectares were distributed, benefiting approximately 33.000 peasant families, Afro-Colombian communities, and Indigenous communities. Furthermore, the State purchased 25.802 hectares of fertile land specifically for these programs.

Turning to the chapter on environmental rights, another area included in this Development Plan, the most important aspect to highlight is the Program for the Protection of the Amazon. This program will allocate $200 million annually for 20 years to protect the Amazon through payments to farmers and indigenous communities.

Furthermore, Colombia announced a ban on new oil and gas exploration contracts in the Amazon, a decision that has been heavily criticized by the country's opposition and international analysts. And we must also mention the meeting between Gustavo Petro and Lula da Silva in July, where they emphasized the Amazon rainforest's crucial role in the global environment and urged other countries to do more to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Regarding the right to food, we must mention the Zero Hunger Program, which provided an extraordinary payment of 500 pesos (approximately US$125) to nearly 2 million people already receiving benefits from other government programs. We must also mention the expansion of the School Feeding Program in climate crisis zones to cover 100% of students.

Regarding education, an absolutely central issue, there was a significant budget increase, totaling 55 trillion pesos. Furthermore, the Zero Tuition Law was passed, meaning that since June 2023, Colombia has once again offered free tuition in public higher education, which had been tuition-based since 1993 according to family income. In this area, there was also a significant debt forgiveness program for interest on student loans from the Colombian Institute for Educational Credit and Technical Studies Abroad (ICETEX). This debt forgiveness now covers 10% of all students and their families.

Regarding health, which, as we mentioned, is key for progressive governments, the health reform was approved. This reform entails the establishment of Primary Care Centers throughout the country to reduce the gap in healthcare access between large cities and rural areas. Each of these centers will serve 25.000 people. Payments were also centralized under the Health System Resource Administration, leading to the dismantling of Health Promoting Entities (EPSs), the private insurance companies that acted as intermediaries between healthcare providers and citizens. Within the framework of this reform, the working conditions and salaries of healthcare workers have also been improved.

In the chapter on gender and women's rights, I want to highlight the creation of the Ministry of Equality to develop public policies focused on gender equality. Furthermore, Colombia is playing a significant role in the regional discussion on care policies.

In economic terms, the Tax Reform was approved, which establishes taxes on hydrocarbons, financial entities, wealth, and junk food in Colombia.

Finally, a central chapter in Colombia is that of peace and security. This year saw a ceasefire with the National Liberation Army (ELN) guerrilla group. Two bodies for the implementation of the 2016 Peace Agreement (previously very limited) were also relaunched: the Monitoring, Promotion, and Verification Commission and the National Security Guarantees Commission. Furthermore, the Total Peace Law was enacted, allowing negotiations with illegal armed groups, and 871 tons of cocaine were seized—the highest figure in history since 2010, the year in which such seizures began to be recorded.

– In the context of what you mentioned about the Ministry of Equality, what is the importance of a vice president like Francia Márquez in the Colombian government one year after its beginning?

– Francia Márquez's presence as Vice President of Colombia is absolutely strategic and symbolically significant. In fact, the Ministry of Equality was created at the urging of Márquez herself, fulfilling commitments she made during the election campaign. In every Latin American country that has established a Ministry of Equality, we can see a clear turning point in gender policies when there is an instrument to advance equity and gender equality with the highest authority and a dedicated budget. That is precisely what is happening in Colombia.

– Finally, the first 100 days of government are always discussed as a benchmark by which part of the population evaluates whether there have been any responses to some of the promises made during the campaign and the government's support. We're talking about 365 days of Gustavo Petro and Francia Márquez's administration. Do you think a progressive government can continue to thrive without social programs?

– In that case, we shouldn't be talking about a progressive government. As we said at the beginning, what characterizes progressive governments is precisely their work in terms of social justice. Without active policies to bring about that much-needed justice and redistribution, it's impossible to move forward. So, at least I don't consider governments that don't emphasize these kinds of policies—social justice, education, health, housing, or gender equality—to be progressive.

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