The young people of Cali, the epicenter of the 2021 demonstrations violently repressed by the police, are preparing to vote on Sunday for the left candidate, Gustavo Petro.
by
A year ago, behind their makeshift shields, they defended the barricade of the Melendez district, in the south of Cali. The third city of Colombia, 460 kilometers southwest of Bogota, was then paralyzed by the unprecedented social movement, very young, which shook the country. Today, Luis Agodelo, nicknamed “Playita”, and his comrades campaign for Gustavo Petro, the left -wing candidate, the presidential favorite whose first round is held on Sunday, May 29. “For the first time, a vote can change the history of the country”, considers “Playita”.
34 years old, he animates Juntanza Popular, a neighborhood collective that combines political education and cultural action. “Many young people under 30 have never voted, either because politics did not interest them, or because they were convinced that the electoral system was locked. Today, it’s different. In the Poor districts of Cali, the mobilization is strong. This time, we will win. “Already a candidate in 2018, Gustavo Petro, 62 years old today, had lost in the second round before Ivan Duque.
Sounds and Political Manager institutes wonder about the vote of young people. “By demonstrating, youth showed that she is not indifferent to politics. She is just disconcerted, underlines Paola Montilla, researcher in political science. One of the questions is whether she will vote more massively than in the past . “Which would promote the left -wing candidate. According to the latest survey of the Invamer Institute, published Friday, May 20, Gustavo Petro is credited with 40 % of voting intentions in the first round, and 51 % among 18-24 year olds. In total, 38.8 million voters are called to the ballot box. Three million young people will vote for the first time.
“We have nothing to lose”
“The pandemic accentuated inequalities and accelerated the desire for change. The violence of police repression prompted youth to organize itself”, explains Alejandro Lanz, of the TEmblore organization (“tremors”), which has Insured the monitoring of violence during the social movement of 2021. Thirty people were killed in Cali, out of a total of 47 victims throughout the country. According to Temblores, more than a quarter of the police violence recorded over the year took place in the department of Valle del Cauca, of which Cali is the chief town. “You have risked your life on barricades, and you are not going to take the time to vote?” Asks “Playita” to the young people he wants to vote.
You have 61.14% of this article to read. The continuation is reserved for subscribers.