Carlos Caicedo explains why he remains in the presidential race and the state of his relationship with Gustavo Petro
In Fuera del Set, José Manuel Acevedo spoke with former governor and presidential candidate Carlos Caicedo about security, his relationship with President Gustavo Petro, and his proposal to pay young people to study.
TL;DR
- Carlos Caicedo's relationship with President Gustavo Petro is characterized by a hope for his success, despite a perceived gap between campaign promises and actions.
- Caicedo is persisting in his presidential candidacy, believing that poll numbers can change as voters become more familiar with candidates' histories and proposals.
- A key proposal is to offer an "educational salary" to students, recognizing studying as work, to combat youth desertion, forced recruitment, and involvement in crime.
- The proposal includes paying half a salary to those not literate and to high school students (grades 10-11) to reduce dropout rates.
- Caicedo argues that the current "total peace" strategy has failed, evidenced by rising homicide rates and humanitarian crises.
- He proposes an educational salary and monetary transfers to vulnerable families as a way to pull young people out of conflict.
- The educational salary initiative would be funded through a national agreement involving government, private sector, and citizenry, potentially involving cuts to non-essential spending and redirection of taxes.