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As women and socialists, we view Abelardo de la Espriella\u2019s election with resolve but also with concern. His victory represents the rise of the sexist, pro-business, paramilitary, and authoritarian far right in Colombia. This is an authoritarian agenda that prioritizes profit, the so-called \u201ctraditional family,\u201d and a punitive order over human rights, diversity, and the well-being of the majority. This agenda is part of the international rise of the far right and feels emboldened by U.S. imperialism under Trump; the ideological onslaught is so intense that even women\u2019s right to vote is being called into question.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This is not merely a change in government: it constitutes a real threat to the gains achieved through years of mobilization. It particularly affects the most vulnerable women\u2014women in precarious jobs, victims of violence in rural areas, single mothers, migrants, and women of color\u2014as well as LGBTQIA+ people, especially trans women, lesbians, and gay men in working-class neighborhoods, who face multiple forms of discrimination based on class, sexual orientation, and gender identity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
During the campaign, we witnessed Abelardo\u2019s sexist and homophobic remarks: crude references to his genitals, derogatory treatment of female journalists, disparagement of gay candidates, and the cultivation of an \u201calpha male\u201d image as a model of power. This wasn\u2019t just a show. It reflects a deeply entrenched ideology that reduces women to reproductive roles and attacks sexual diversity, making it impossible for him to govern equitably. His statements and campaign promises, as well as the appointment of Vivian Morales to the education portfolio, allow us to anticipate policies that will render our demands\u2014and those of the LGBTQIA+ community\u2014invisible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When he promises to combat the misnamed \u201cgender ideology,\u201d we know what that entails: a systematic attack on sexual and reproductive rights, inclusive education, and sex-gender diversity. Specifically, he threatens to remove educational content on gender equality and sexual diversity from schools, cut funding for violence prevention programs, and restrict access to abortion. For LGBTQIA+ people, this means greater vulnerability: setbacks in the recognition of trans identities, in adoption by same-sex couples, and in non-discrimination policies, as well as rhetoric that promotes hate crimes and femicides.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
When it comes to reproductive rights, restrictive policies only increase mortality and suffering among the most vulnerable people. It is very likely that they will attempt to roll back progress on the decriminalization of abortion, equal adoption rights, gender quotas, and protections for LGBTQIA+ people. The signs are already there: his staunch defense of the \u201ctraditional family\u201d consisting of a father and a mother (which no longer exists for thousands of children growing up without a father in Colombia), his explicit opposition to same-sex adoption, and his silence in the face of femicides and hate crimes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Like Trump or Milei, he will not be able to simply do as he pleases or eliminate rights by decree. Even if he claims to formally respect the legal system, his base and allies are already seeking to dismantle or limit rights through conservative appointments and regressive cultural reforms in government ministries; and, as expected, by reviving the push for referendums\u2014such as the one recently filed by the so-called \u201cpro-life\u201d caucus, a contradictory label, to restrict abortion rights. We say they are not \u201cpro-life\u201d because it has been more than proven that banning abortion does not prevent it, but rather causes women\u2019s deaths; moreover, these same figures are allies of Israel, the leading cause of infant mortality worldwide in recent years.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This new referendum attempt\u2014which is known to be unconstitutional\u2014will be followed by a string of lawsuits seeking to invalidate it and other initiatives targeting rights that, like abortion, are enshrined in the Constitution. Most of these initiatives will fail, but they will achieve their goal of spreading misinformation and creating an atmosphere of doubt regarding the validity of these rights and the legitimacy of the barriers and acts of violence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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With regard to violence against women and LGBTQIA+ people, their rhetoric of a \u201ctough stance\u201d and \u201corder\u201d is insufficient and dangerous. The punitive approach\u2014megaprisons, life imprisonment\u2014does not eradicate gender-based violence or hate crimes. It does not address the structural roots: economic inequality, machismo, transphobia and homophobia, and impunity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Without decent jobs, without inclusive education, without comprehensive care, and without transforming dominant masculinities, the violence will continue. The punitive and populist model leads to more selective repression, not real security for women and LGBTQIA+ people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We cannot remain on the defensive. The movement must be broad, inclusive, and class-based: uniting the struggles against sexism, LGBTQIA+ phobia, and capitalism, and coordinating these struggles with other sectors of society. This is not the time for liberal, white, and elitist feminism, but rather for the unity of those at the bottom, placing the most oppressed and exploited at the center. At this moment, the unity of the exploited and oppressed is vital to defend rights and prevent further setbacks.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We need to move toward a new national strike; to do so, we must convene local assemblies, launch popular education campaigns against machismo and homophobia, and maintain constant pressure in the streets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
This reactionary victory is a setback in the long march toward emancipation. Abelardo is here to remind us that in the capitalist system, all victories are partial and temporary; that when we stop fighting or let our guard down, setbacks follow\u2014but that through struggle, it is also possible to halt anti-rights measures and even make progress.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Capitalism feeds on homophobia, sexism, racism, and all forms of oppression; to overthrow them, we need a joint, internationalist, and class-based struggle.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The resistance has already begun and has manifested itself in youth mobilizations since the election. Let\u2019s continue to build networks and advance in organization and consciousness. Women and people of diverse identities will not back down. Organization, struggle, and workers\u2019 and people\u2019s unity!<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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