In dialogue with The W with Julio Sanchez Cristothe Vice President and Minister of Equality, Francia Márquez, spoke about several current issues.
Among the topics discussed is the UN resolution on the Afro-descendant Women’s Daythe security crisis in some regions of Colombia and the Visit to Colombia by the Duke and Duchess of SussexHarry and Meghan, among others.
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First, on the plenary session of the United Nations (UN) in which the resolution was signed proclaimed on July 25 like the International Day of the Girl Child and Afro-descendant woman.
Regarding how this initiative was managed and materialized, the senior official assured that everything began in 2023 when a Meeting of Afro-descendant women in Colombia attended by women from different parts of the world such as Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, Latin America and the United States.
“There was talk of the difficulties of Afro-descendant women and of the racism that violates themas well as joint construction agendas were proposed to respond to these situations. This event was chaired by the President Gustavo Petro (…) the majority of countries voted in favor of this proposal, only Israel voted against it,” he said.
Thus, for the vice president, this fact represents “a very important international achievement for women”, as it will allow “moving towards gender justice in the country with approaches differentials, Ethnic and racial”, as well as “it is a great opportunity to continue strengthening the leadership of women in Colombia.”
On the other hand, about his work for make visible and combat discrimination in girls and women of African descent from her position as vice president, the senior official assured that her presence has opened debates that did not occur before.
“After two years of being here and traveling through many of the vulnerable territories of this country, it has been very important to see girls and boys tell me: aunt, I will follow in his footstepsme too I’m going to study because I want to get to where you have gotten to,” he said.
In addition, the vice president said that, although she cannot anticipate whether the fact that Kamala Harris will be elected president of the United States “is going to change the whole reality of that population,” her presence as an African-descendant woman in this position would send “a important message to that population that has been historically excluded.”
“If Francia Márquez became Vice President, any man or woman from this community can do so. This does not mean that because We arrived here and we changed the violence that this population suffers from structurally, but we are walking over there to transform these realities and that is what is important: to reach these spaces of representation and of decision making”.
Regarding the legacy she wants to leave to the country and to the black girls and women of Colombia, Márquez said that “for a long time it was believed that simply with to impose a bureaucratic quota In a place, was being fulfilled”.
In this regard, he reiterated that It is not about “taking a place”but of transform reality of the population: “If there is no commitment or an agenda “in favour of our population, it is not enough. That is why it is important to occupy the space and take on the agenda of transformation and vindication of the rights of this population.”
He also acknowledged that His management in these two years has not been an easy tasksince “racism permeates institutions and is anchored in populations”, since Colombia has a “racial State that discriminates” and, therefore, there are still obstacles to overcome.
“I believe that my life condition is to help transform that reality and I have been insistent on that. One of my tasks is to coordinate from the Vice Presidency Investment in the most excluded territories and marginalizedthere have been numerous spaces for dialogue and discussion because I have had to confront the political wills of some officials who are sometimes not there (…) my other task has been to create a new institution (the Ministry of Equality) to overcome the gaps of inequity and inequality that it has the responsibility of making direct investment“, the vice president said.
Regarding the public order problems in various regions of the country such as the Pacific or the southwest, Márquez considered that the National Government has made efforts to prioritize social investment in those territories.
For example, he added, the Ministry of Equality has prioritized 27 solution projects water drinking water in the Pacific “with one difficulty and that is that these territories do not have studies and designs”which is why their portfolio seeks to develop them to reach that vulnerable population.”
“It is a change that today I am saying that I can bring a university campus for youth to my municipality. That instead of youth thinking about joining an armed group, Better plan to go study at a university for free (…) we still have a challenge and that is that, since education has been so precarious in those territories, It is necessary to level the studentsit must be a program that has to be implemented,” he said.
Regarding the insecurity situation experienced by several regions of the country due to the actions of armed groups, the vice president assured that it is necessary for the National Government keep working on it.
“We have to continue making many more efforts as National Government to restore peace to this population“, held.
Regarding the visit to Colombia by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, Harry and Meghan, who will come to the country at the invitation of Vice President Francia Márquez, the senior official assured that the details of their agenda are part of “the summary reserve.”
For this reason, he could not confirm whether the dukes will participate in the Petronio Álvarez Festival in Valle del Cauca.
“Tomorrow (August 15) there will be a press conference in which I will be able to share more details about this important visit,” he added.
The Vice President and Minister for Equality also referred to the political and social crisis that is experienced in Venezuela, which has worsened since the elections of July 28 due to fraud allegations by the opposition, and in the face of the proclamation of Nicolás Maduro as re-elected president, by the National Electoral Council (CNE)without the electoral records supporting this having been presented so far.
At the same time, the opposition claims that its leader, Edmundo Gonzalez Urrutiawon the elections by a wide margin and supports this with the minutes of the polling station witnesses that he published online shortly after the elections.
“I can’t get into that discussion, I don’t know who won because I’m not in that country.“, said Marquez.
The vice president added: “I respect the decision of the people. I believe that Venezuela internally has to have a discussion and reach an agreement between the parties, above all Prioritizing the well-being of Venezuelans”.
“The only thing I wish is the best for Venezuela, for the Venezuelan people who are suffering, because in the end in the fights between politicians they happen at the top, but Those are not the ones who suffer the consequences. Those who suffer the consequences are the ordinary people, are the most vulnerable people“, said the minister.
Finally, Márquez concluded by expressing that he wishes “for Venezuela, first, that Do not become a violent countryan internal violence like the one we have had here in Colombia. Where we have all lost as a society. Second, that they can move through their political problems in a manner democratic“, he said.
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UN, security and Harry and Meghan’s visit: Francia Márquez’s topics in La W
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