Alejandro Gamboa
As Abelardo de la Espriella’s second month in office began, the fiscal issue had dominated much of the public discourse, overshadowing the government’s other priorities. However, significant shifts in the balance of power were already becoming apparent, such as a phased effort to purge public and private institutions. In particular, a fierce campaign of systematic and sustained delegitimization against the media has erupted. There have also been attempts to intervene in professional and business associations and councils, indicating that Abelardo is waging a battle for power in both the public sphere and private entities.
Furthermore, in the realm of the culture war, there have also been significant symbolic interventions against the demands of the LGBTI community, in defense of a traditional conception of the family. This is evident not only in the president’s statements in support of regional anti-gender activists but also in his moral judgments regarding literary figures commonly associated with Colombian modernity and, above all, in the political decisions to withdraw from the Equal Rights Coalition and return to the so-called Geneva Consensus.
But it is crucial to mention that the government’s confrontational strategy also extends to traditional conservative sectors. The president makes public statements against r leaders who had been aligned with previous conservative and liberal governments and who might be willing to accommodate his administration. In other words, there are signs that, in addition to sidelining the left, De la Esprillera’s plan is also to absorb or subordinate the traditional right. In this context, it is important to note the reaction of Álvaro Uribe, who now sounds more conciliatory than he did in the immediate post-election period, having recently declared that he is neither of the right nor of the left, but rather a product of the country’s political history.