The president explained that the idea is to open channels of dialogue to move towards a National Agreement, which would imply changes to laws, perhaps even constitutional norms, but above all, involving a change of mentality to make the institutions flow towards the modifications that the nation demands.

Petro considered that Colombia cannot continue being a society that kills itself, that is unequal, that is violent and that, nevertheless, has everything to conquer. “I have gone through decades of political struggle from the perspective of seeking a change for the country, which seems absolutely necessary to me, given the circumstances of violence, social inequality and degradation of society that we have seen in recent decades. That is why they made me president and I owe myself for that vote, I cannot go back,” he stressed.

At another point in his speech, the president advocated for Colombia’s free and democratic tradition to re-emerge with more power, after having been mistreated during times of fascism. He also announced that he will award the Cruz de Boyacá, the highest civil decoration that the Government grants for exceptional services to the Homeland, to the Supreme Court judges who investigated parapolitics, as the scandal unleashed in 2006 by the revelation of the links between politicians and paramilitaries was known.

Petro also referred to the discussion of the labor reform that is advancing in the Plenary of the House of Representatives, despite the resistance of members of the opposition. “It is with social justice that we balance ourselves with nature and with life. And they believe that the working people, then, have to be condemned to perpetual slavery,” he said in reference to those who do not want labor laws to be modified.

The president said that some of his detractors accuse him of wanting to change the 1991 Constitution. “What I want is to deepen it and make it real,” he said.

jrr/llp/oda/ifs