What surprised me the most about these eight years that closed today, was not so much the president of Colombia but the Colombian people. Because during the short but complex history of the country, the presidency has seen men of all kind of abilities and personalities, all of them, however, managed to do their job with respect to the Laws. Laws than, in theory, are equal for everyone and that applied to everyone, protect us all, make us free. Those presidents had, also, a public opinion – with or without voice – that respected them too. In these last years, however, the law was broken, overviewed, or ignored in every scenario, not by common citizens but by those who are supposed to defend them. The law forbids killing, nevertheless, plans were built to kill innocent children (Falsos positivos). The law forbids gaining votes by favors, nevertheless the country saw the “Notarias” fair. The law forbids that a person with a grey curriculum vitae takes public office, nevertheless, a good amount of the elected congressman are now in jail. The law orders to protect peoples’ intimacy, nevertheless, tabbing judges and journalists took place. The law commands the protection of the citizens’ health and life, nevertheless, a manual for a systematic physical and psychological torture was written. The law promises to protect private property, nevertheless, thousands of thousands of miles were violently stolen. The law punishes calumny and lies, nevertheless, the Supreme Court was subject to the one and to the other. And so we could go on reviewing newspapers. As a whole, during these eight years Colombia saw the rising of a new culture that privileges brute force, that ignores reason, that cannot be stopped by laws, a culture where human rights just do not exist. It was the arrival in every scenario of a paramilitary culture. Trying to defeat the old, violent, criminal guerrilla, they unleashed the same phenomenon in a different dress. Guerrilla and paramilitaries are identical. In terms of society, they both are forces that get what they want by braking, over viewing or ignoring the law. Just as Simon el Bobito (Simon the dummy, a children book character), they pretended to get rid of a pile of sand digging a hole in the sand. Einstein said that the universe is much more complex that what we are able to understand. Here, the president that is leaving was much more basic that what the country could see.
But what turns out to be really amazing is not just that exhibition of broken laws by those who should protect them, but the total indifference of the majority of Colombians, and the massive support they gave to the President that led the government where all these things happened. Lack of solidarity was the trademark of this period. It might have been so because it was not their children who were hired to be assassinated, or their houses and business the ones that were bloody taken. Tortured people was ignored by those that were not able to put themselves in their shoes. In these years, the country became blind, insensible and a heard. During these eight years, the law became a drifting orphan defended with courage only by the Supreme Court. That is way the challenge of the new president is of historical dimensions. He must restore to the presidency not just a global vision, the value of reason and of the heart, respect for free thinking and for life, conviction without fear, determination without repression, wisdom… he must restore to the country something that is irreplaceable for national unity: he must restore dignity to Colombian people. Because if they are to be a herd it is the duty of the shepherd to lead them to good grass. The new president can do it, he has all the elements in his hands. May God want to help him to leave behind these eight years that will enter the books as the Obscurantism of Colombian history. May also the sun that showed after rain the afternoon of his taking office be a good omen, and the new president can crown this country with health, justice and peace./SYLVIA DAVILA MORALES ®
No comments:
Post a Comment