Petro promises housing, health and education to the military and police
At the beginning of the last week of the campaign, the left-wing candidate Gustavo Petro has written a letter addressed to the military and police in which he recognizes the “valuable contribution” of the majority of those in uniform to “the construction of a more humane Colombia ” and outlines a proposal for the transformation of the public force in which it promises them better opportunities to access housing, health and education.
“It is clear to me that you, the land, sea and air soldiers and the police of the country, are humble Colombians who, like millions of compatriots, demand a better future for themselves, but especially for their dear families”, writes the candidate for the Historical Pact, who in his youth belonged to the M-19 guerrilla and has run into resistance from some sectors of the armed forces.
The candidate, among others, regrets in the letter that the uniformed men do not have decent housing, they must wait months to obtain a medical appointment and they cannot afford the education of their children. For this reason, he assures him, he intends to “strengthen the public force and the well-being of its members, especially that of the most vulnerable, to achieve total peace in the national territory.”
His proposal includes building citadels for the military in alliance with private companies, restructuring the health system that cares for them, building new military hospitals, expanding public force schools and promoting a scholarship program for their children.
“Our strategy also contemplates transforming, gradually and to the extent that we consolidate peace, military service into social service, so that only professionals, well trained, well equipped and well paid, are in charge of combating multicrime,” says Petro. .