‘They will even take the pot, everything that isn't nailed down will be taken’: Paloma Valencia
Paloma Valencia, presidential candidate for the Democratic Center. Photo: Courtesy - A.P.I.
TL;DR
- Valencia believes the current economic perception of abundance in Colombia is misleading, driven by temporary factors like high coca production, gold prices, coffee harvests, and remittances, rather than structural economic health.
- She argues that key economic sectors like mining, oil, and construction are declining, while national debt has significantly increased under the current administration.
- Valencia's proposed solutions include lowering taxes, drastically reducing state spending on bureaucracy, focusing government expenditure on infrastructure, security, and social welfare, and renegotiating national debt to secure more favorable interest rates.
- She plans to introduce a subsidy for single mothers and vulnerable households, maintain the senior citizen subsidy without affecting pension savings, and implement administrative measures to improve tax collection and generate resources.
- Valencia advocates for physical and legal security, stability contracts for investors, structural tax reform including reduced income tax and elimination of wealth tax, and a review of regional taxes to encourage economic development and investment in neglected territories.