00:00We continue to aspire to have a deliberative Congress.
00:04Did the newly elected members of Congress who will be sworn in tomorrow learn anything from the Congress that was in place for the last four years?
00:12The initial signs suggest not.
00:15Despite historically being the branch of government with the least trust in the eyes of Colombians,
00:22Each Congress has fallen into the trap of entrenching itself in its own irrelevance.
00:27and to prioritize private interests over the complex debates that the country needs.
00:34The years of Gustavo Petro's administration allowed the congressmen to reaffirm their independence.
00:41But often their lack of greatness showed that they put electoral goals ahead of their actions.
00:49During the next four years of Abelardo de la Espriella's government,
00:53the president-elect's narrow margin of victory, coupled with the diverse forces that were divided in the legislature,
01:01They are an opportunity to lead a productive national conversation.
01:07Are we dreaming?
01:08The congressmen who arrive at the National Capitol receive a country that has been experiencing years of legislative stagnation.
01:15When the governing coalition with which the Petro administration began fell apart, the confrontation was constant.
01:23We do not forget the accusations that the Casa de Nariño made against the congressmen
01:28and also the threat of using a popular consultation to storm Congress.
01:34However, the lack of responsibility shown by members of Congress is also still fresh in our minds.
01:40when discussing complex reforms, such as health or labor reforms,
01:44and in particular by stubbornly refusing to process a financing law
01:49that would throw a lifeline to public finances.
01:52Especially in the second half of the outgoing president's term,
01:57There were more electoral stances than a commitment to building consensus.
02:02around difficult questions that Colombians have.
02:06So yes, Congress is independent and yes, the outgoing government was hostile to consensus-building.
02:12But the solution cannot be to build a new national unity.
02:17and steamroll over the agenda of the incoming government.
02:22Abelardo de la Espriella's mandate is both powerful and fragile,
02:27given the narrow margin that led him to the Casa de Nariño.
02:30What that should tell the congressmen is that many Colombians
02:36They have doubts about their more radical positions.
02:39There are justified fears among those who are now in the opposition.
02:45The right approach is for the Capitol to become a space for transparent debate.
02:51of building reforms through dialogue and as inclusive as possible.
02:57Think less about how I'm doing and more about how we can help build a Colombia for all Colombians.
03:08The challenges are enormous.
03:10There is a fiscal crisis that will very soon limit the ambitions of the president-elect.
03:16The health system, in addition to being a short-term lifeline,
03:20It needs a structural reform that guarantees its viability over time.
03:25Security has Colombians very worried.
03:29but it cannot become an excuse for abuses of power and limitations on individual rights.
03:35The ultraconservative reformism of the most radical sector of the next government
03:40It will try to weaken social advances that are treasured by the most vulnerable populations.
03:47We could continue listing knots that need to be untied
03:51And it would be a shame if the voice of Congress were replaced by a notary's seal.
03:57It is time for dialogue, for consensus-building, for bold reforms.
04:03to show Colombians that democracy is indeed capable of responding to their biggest concerns.
04:10Is it too much to dream of a Congress that puts an end to its underhanded tactics?
04:16If you agree with this editorial, please submit your 500-word counter-editorial.
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