El Ubérrimo: The center-right begins to prepare its strategy for 2022 – Political Parties – Politics

Former President Álvaro Uribe seems to have gone from words to action when it comes to the 2022 elections. His El Ubérrimo farm, in Montería, in recent days has become the epicenter of political action by the center-right sectors. .

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In his rural estate he met less than two weeks ago with Alirio Barrera, the former governor of Casanare, whom the former president would like to see in the electoral contest; but also last week he had a meeting with Dilian Francisca Toro, the largest voter in Valle del Cauca, and with the Char family, the most powerful on the Caribbean coast, politically speaking.

It is no secret to anyone thathe head of the Democratic Center has pointed out the need to form a great coalition of the center-right sectors to confront the left in the next elections. Moreover, it has been repetitive in the sense of pointing out that “beware of 2022”.

That is why the meetings he has had on his farm are not free. It is clear that it is a way of approaching other political actors, of looking for coincidences and of knowing what they are thinking.

“Uribe is solely and exclusively focused on putting Iván Duque’s successor in the Casa de Nariño. He is putting together a strategy based on three central focuses that may allow him to have the minimum votes to reach the second round: the votes of the Coast, the votes of Antioquia and the votes of Valle del Cauca. To this is added what he can achieve in Bogotá, they are territories in which both he and Dilian Francisca Toro and the Char have the capacity to mobilize ”, explained the political analyst and professor at the Externado University Jairo Libreros.

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According to what this newspaper has learned, Uribe is raising two issues so far: a great coalition and that it has many candidates who could participate in a consultation in which there are center-right names.

“The former president knows that with a candidate only from the right, he will not reach the second round, it is clear that the center is going to play a determining role, ”said Rodrigo Sánchez, a political scientist at the National University.
Coalition

At the meeting with the Char, which was attended by the clan chief, Fuad; the former mayor of Barranquilla, Alejandro (with presidential aspirations), and Arturo, the president of the Senate, the matter was addressed.

He spoke to them of the need for a great coalition of sectors related to the right to confront the left. And, according to a source that was informed of the meeting told EL TIEMPO, he insisted that Alejandro Char be a presidential candidate within that great coalition.

According to the source, the former mayor of Barranquilla told him that he had doubts about whether this is the best time to make a presidential aspiration official. Char told Uribe that he had a work in the Atlantic to do and defend, that nationally the matter was not easy and that his eventual aspiration could generate a lot of annoyance in some sectors.

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In any case, two political leaders close to the Char consulted by this newspaper insist that Alejandro does have presidential aspirations and that if he does not manage to be a presidential candidate, he could be a formula for the Vice Presidency.

“The Vice Presidency is familiar to test the waters,” said one of the leaders who has permanent communication with the Char.

In the case of Dilian, who has presidential aspirations, the talk did not revolve around electoral mechanics. They did talk about the new economic reality of the country, the covid, the priorities that the new government should have and the referendum that wants to promote Uribe.

In any case, the former governor of Valle, who attended the breakfast accompanied by some congressmen from ‘the U’ in Córdoba, reiterated that she is a clear defender of security and authority issues, but also of the implementation of the agreements of peace. Uribe reiterated the need, from his point of view, to make reforms to the Special Jurisdiction for Peace (JEP).

Thomas Uribe

One of those who could surprise, as recognized in the Democratic Center, is the former governor of Casanare Alirio Barrera, who also passed through El Ubérrimo and received a specific request from Uribe: get on your party’s list of candidates.

Barrera was governor of Casanare on behalf of the Democratic Center and was the only one who in recent years managed to finish his mandate. His administration was outstanding and, in addition, he managed to zero the public debt, something that caught Uribe’s attention.

Despite the fact that former President Uribe told EL TIEMPO that his children “are not planning to run” for positions in 2022, in the Democratic Center there are those who remain convinced that Tomás Uribe should stand in the elections.

“The only name that guarantees the total unity of Uribe is Tomás Uribe”, said the senator of the Democratic Center Ernesto Macías.

Asked by this newspaper about this possibility, Tomás rejected the option to aspire in 2022.

“Political activity is very risky, imagine this year the suffering of my father two years deprived of liberty, I have some commitments acquired with my partners, with my co-workers, with my suppliers, and becoming a politician now is not serious with them, ”said the son of former President Uribe.

Despite being saying this repeatedly, in recent months he has been seen making political pronouncements. A few weeks ago he launched harsh taunts to the former governor of Antioquia Sergio Fajardo, one of the most consolidated letters from the political center, and this week he made a proposal that put public opinion to debate.

It is about 4 x 4, that is, raising the minimum wage by 4 percent, but lowering the working day by four hours a week.

In the Democratic Center they want him either as a presidential candidate or at the top of the party’s Senate list, to occupy the seat left by his father. In Uribe there is fear of an eventual decrease in the number of seats now that the former president will not be on the ballot for Congress.

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Another of the leaders with whom the head of the Democratic Center has had conversations is Simón Gaviria, who, as it transpired, has had several telephone conversations with Uribe. They both have a good relationship.

It is clear that this is just beginning, but Uribe does not want him to take the night with his presidential candidate to confront the left. He wants to have a coalition of many sectors, in which the Democratic Center, conservatism and Christian parties, among others, are pre-candidates.

And it seems that the candidate of the center-right who will be on the card in 2022, and with great possibilities of reaching the House of Nariño, will have to go through El Ubérrimo.

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