Francia Márquez, elected vice president of Colombia: “After 214 years we achieved a government of the people, the government of the nobodies of Colombia”

Petro is the elected president of Colombia with more than 50% of the votes 1:44 (CNN Spanish) — “Thank you Colombia for this historic moment. I want to thank all the Colombian men and women who gave their lives for this moment. All our sisters and brothers, social leaders who were sadly assassinated in this country,” said Francia Márquez, Vice President-elect of Colombia, addressing her supporters in Bogotá after the victory of the Gustavo Petro/Francia Márquez formula in the second round of the presidential elections from the country.

“First of all, I want to thank God for this moment, thanks to the Virgin Mary, thanks to our ancestors, thanks to our Colombian people, the young people, the women, thanks Colombia for this historic moment.” – Francia Márquez Mina (@FranciaMarquezM) June 20, 2022 Márquez is the mother of two children, whom she, out of fear, had to take out of the country while she advanced the current campaign, she said in March. She is a lawyer graduated from the Santiago de Cali University and was awarded the Goldman Prize in 2018, something like a ‘Nobel Prize for the Environment’ for her struggle in the community of La Toma “to stop illegal gold mining on their ancestral land “that he was contaminating the river in which his entire community fished with mercury. Márquez thanked the communities and her movement Soy por que and the Polo Democrático Alternativo “for having believed it possible to change the history of Colombia,” she said. “I greet the women of Colombia, all my sisters, my comadres, thank you for having accompanied me and for having accompanied Gustavo Petro,” she added. Márquez recognized the contribution of Colombian youth in Petro’s campaign, as well as the “teachers, workers, the disabled community that was also present.” Márquez’s speech was marked by recognition of minorities. “After 214 years we achieved a government of the people, a popular government. The government of the people, of calloused hands, the government of ordinary people, the government of the nobodies and nobodies of Colombia,” she said. “We are going to reconcile this nation,” added the elected vice president of Colombia. “We are going for peace decisively, without fear, with love and with joy. We are going for dignity. We are going for social justice. We women are going to eradicate the patriarchy of our country,” she said amid shouts from her followers. . “We are going for the rights of the diverse LGBTQ+ community. We are going for the rights of our mother earth, of the big house. To take care of biodiversity. Together we are going to eradicate structural racism. I am the first Afro-descendant woman in Colombia. I am its vice president” , he added before giving way to Gustavo Petro.