The Senate of Colombia has appointed Honorio Henríquez, a candidate from Centro Democrático, the party of former president Álvaro Uribe, as the new president, thanks to the support of the Pacto Histórico, the leftist coalition of outgoing president Gustavo Petro. This parliamentary move aimed to displace Alfredo Deluque, the candidate promoted by the elected president, Abelardo de la Espriella.
Henríquez has taken the Presidency of the Senate after obtaining 56 votes, thus surpassing the 45 supports achieved by Deluque, from the Partido de la U, a liberal-leaning formation whose candidate had the explicit support of the next head of state.
The session has been marked by the unexpected support of the senators from the Pacto Histórico for the candidate identified with Uribismo, a gesture that the coalition has explained as a sign of rejection of the new president. "Let no one be mistaken. Our vote was against Abelardo, against fascism, and its abuses of power even against its own 'allies'," the Petro alliance stated in a message disseminated on social media.
At the same time, the leftist bloc has emphasized that it remains "in the antipodes" of Uribe and Centro Democrático. "We expect from the new president of the Senate political stature and guarantees for the exercise of the opposition," it stressed, insisting that the result of the vote represents a "defeat for the tigrillo," referring to the nickname by which De la Espriella is known.
The election of the president of the Senate has highlighted the first clash between sectors of the Colombian right, as the party of the elected president has a limited presence in Parliament and will be forced to weave agreements with various conservative forces to advance its legislative agenda.
In this scenario, Uribe has warned that if De la Espriella and his circle try to act against his party, Centro Democrático will "defend itself like bees." "If the tiger roars to finish off Centro Democrático, we have to defend ourselves like bees," he stated last week, amid the controversy over the appointment of the new head of the Senate.