From Uribism to Petrianism: This is how the political country reacted to the “censorship” of presidential candidate Enrique Gómez

A political storm took to social networks during the night of this Thursday, March 17, after independent presidential candidate Enrique Gómez, of the National Salvation Movement, denounced that the media El Colombiano, El Heraldo and Red+ Noticias did not allow him to participate in the debate with candidates for the Presidency.

The controversy arose after the nephew of murdered conservative leader Álvaro Gómez Hurtado recorded himself outside the premises of the Antioquia newspaper in Envigado and, virtually, answered questions asked his opponents at the polls Ingrid Betancourt, Federico Gutiérrez and Sergio Fajardo.

These events went viral on social networks and the reactions of other political leaders, as well as hundreds of Internet users, were swift. For example, there were certain centre-right figures who were in favor of Enrique Gómez and urged the country's press to also make visible his presidential candidacy, which he registered with the recently revived party, which his uncle founded years ago.

“Why talk about “inclusion” in Colombia, when a candidate is excluded from the debate? To refuse Enrique Gómez is to disrespect the legacy of Álvaro Gómez Hurtado and the citizens grouped in Salvation Nacional,” Uribista Senator María Fernanda Cabal said on her Twitter account, who also said that if Gómez “were from the left they put a red carpet on him.”

Although several politicians and citizens were in favor of Enrique Gómez, there was no shortage of those who took advantage of this situation to question him. Senator-elect Roy Barreras reacted from petrianism, who mocked the presidential candidate and described him with vehement sayings.

That mob did not go unnoticed by Gómez, who answered him and defended himself for such harsh criticism: “Barreras his legacy will be that of blatant transfuguism, the infamous exploitation of the state, the absence of ideology, shame and backpacks full of banknotes. I am a grandson, nephew and son of transparency and ideas. We took the first step against adversity and good politics,” said the right-wing aspirant.

And these were not his only pronouncements. After denouncing that the country's media does not stop balls, the La FM station interviewed him on the morning of this Friday, March 18, where the litigator again launched criticism of the portals that did not allow him to participate.

In his dialogue with that medium, Enrique Gómez recalled that, although Gustavo Petro did not attend the forum and there was an empty lectern, he was banned from entering. “He wasn't one of the candidates and they preferred to leave an empty space in the production even though I was at the door of the newspaper,” he questioned.

It should be recalled that the National Salvation Movement, the collective with which the politician competes for the presidency, regained legal status last year after losing its support after it. In the company of his vice-presidential formula Carlos Cuartas, he seeks to come to power by raising, as he himself says, the flags of the conservative right, whose main objectives are to reform justice and end impunity and corruption.

“We will build the Agreement on the Fundamentals to achieve comprehensive reform of justice, to ensure compliance with the law, security and tranquility in the countryside and cities, and that the law is never negotiated again with the terrorist and the bandit, so that we achieve the immediate transformation of education,” said Gomez.

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