The Spanish-Peruvian writer Mario Vargas Llosa congratulated Gustavo Petro on Monday in Madrid, who, after his victory on Sunday, he will be Colombia’s first left-wing presidentbut expressed his wish that his mandate be "an amendable and correctable accident".
"I also send congratulations to Mr. Petro on his close victory"said the 86-year-old Nobel laureate in literature, in the opening speech of the XV Atlantic Forum, which takes place at the Casa América in Madrid, organized by the International Foundation for Freedom, which he chairs.
"Hopefully Colombia stays within the strict legality that has characterized Colombian history, and it is simply an amendable and correctable accident in the more or less immediate future"stated the author of "The party of the goat" either "The War of the End of the World".
yes Petro "intends, as some of its supporters intend, to destroy this legality, a question mark is opened regarding the future of Colombia"the writer warned.
The outgoing Colombian president, Iván Duque, participated in a videoconference in this Atlantic Forumand was questioned by Vargas Llosa about the possibility that Petro threatens legality.
"The first thing to recognize, to defend democracy, is when there is a popular pronouncement"replied Duke, adding that, "clearly, yesterday Colombians elected a new president".
"All of us who assume the presidency of the republic of our nations, assume an enormous challenge, today, and that is to always guide ourselves by the constitutional order and legality"Duke sentenced.
Vargas Llosa, who was a candidate for the Peruvian presidency in 1990, very active in political debate, usually supports right-wing, conservative or liberal candidates.
Vargas Llosa praised him, assuring that, "done the additions and subtractions"acted "within the law" and had one "magnificent presidential administration".
The writer did welcome the victory in the Spanish region of Andalusia of the conservative Popular Party and its candidate Juanma Moreno, "that it is very close to the things that we defend, and that, without a doubt, compensates for that Colombian election".
