Bogota, Jun 17 (EFE).- The president-elect of Colombia, Ivan Duque, said Sunday that “a new generation” comes to power following his victory in the presidential elections, and stressed his intention to unite the country.
“With humility and with honor I want to tell the Colombian people that I will give all my energies to unite our country: no more divisions, let’s think of a country with all and for all,” Duque said in a speech to his supporters in Bogota after acknowledging the elections’ results.
Duque added that for him, “there are no defeated citizens” because he wants to be the president of all Colombians: those who voted for him, those who did not and those who opted for a blank vote.
The president-elect of Colombia, who is due to take office on Aug. 2, 2018 and whose term would last until Aug. 2, 2022, further highlighted the need for Colombia to “unite” and “build” the country to prevent the future of all Colombians from getting “destroyed”.
Sunday’s elections have generated strong divisions in the country, especially among Duque’s sympathizers and those who support leftist candidate Gustavo Petro.
Duque garnered 10.3 million votes or about 53.98 percent of the ballot, while Petro secured 8 million or about 41.81 percent.
The new president of Colombia was received by his followers who came dressed in orange, the color of his presidential campaign, while shouting “yes he could,” and addressing him on several occasions during his speech as “president.”
According to Duque, Sunday?s elections are an opportunity “to turn the page of polarization, the page of grievances, of the poisons.”
“I do not recognize enemies in Colombia,” he said, adding “I will not govern with hatred, I will not hate, nor will I hate any Colombian.”
Duque also dismissed having thoughts of “revenge or retaliation”, saying he aspires to a future for the good of all Colombians.
“This has to be an opportunity for us to unite against those things that have historically hurt Colombia and one of them is corruption,” he said.
Therefore, his campaign as a president will be a “frontal fight against corruption, excessive politics and clientelism.”
“We will govern with transparency and efficiency, and we will return to the citizens the hope of believing in the institutions again,” Duque concluded.