Juana Carolina Londoño sobre crisis de seguridad: “El Estado tiene que llegar primero a los territorios antes que los grupos delincuenciales”

Juana Carolina Londoño, a congressional representative and presidential hopeful from the Conservative Party, emerging as a fresh voice in Colombian politics, emphasized in a recent interview with Infobae Colombia about the growing presence of armed groups in over 800 municipalities and the inadequate state presence in these regions, based on figures and assessments discussed during the conversation.

“The State must reach the territories before criminal groups,” Londoño insisted while outlining her priorities regarding this phenomenon. In her dialogue with this outlet, she shared official data showing that Colombia has witnessed a 57% rise in kidnappings and a 53% increase in extortion. For her, this trend impacts areas where state authority is weakened against the spread of crime.

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Londoño, who has served as president of the Second Commission of the House of Representatives, emphasized the necessity of strengthening support for the military and ensuring proper conditions for their operations. “It cannot be that they are using our civilian population to kidnap our soldiers,” she asserted, noting that only a portion of 8 billion has been allocated from the national budget for investment, which hampers the state’s response to the crisis.

She gave the example: “We require resources for our helicopters for over 40,000 flight hours, but this year only 15,000 flight hours have been assigned.” In her view, the gap between needs and resources adversely affects operability and responsiveness.

The presidential hopeful recommended specific strategies for each territory, identifying regions like Catatumbo, Arauca, and Chocó as priority areas for targeted state intervention. She insisted that the president must actively exercise institutional command over the armed forces and coordinate actions to regain authority in the affected regions.

During her conversation with Infobae Colombia, Londoño pointed out that the current administration has shown a lack of authority and insufficient resource allocation to confront the threat posed by armed groups.

“I believe there are many things lacking. First, the President of the Republic of Colombia must be shown as the supreme commander of the Armed Forces and provide clear directives to fight crime. Secondly, there has been a lack of authority to combat them. I feel that adequate resources have not been provided.”

She stated that there are no clear signals of government backing for the Public Force, nor the necessary leadership to restore institutional order and security in vulnerable areas. The candidate emphasized: “I feel that the government is more of an ally to criminal groups than to the military forces, and that is very dangerous.”

The candidate also addressed the significance of foreign policy in this context and proposed to rebuild trust with strategic allies like the United States and Israel, countries with which Colombia has cooperation in intelligence, security, and technology.

She noted: “First, we must rebuild relations with the United States, which is our main trading partner. Currently, 25% of our country’s exports go there. It is not just a disagreement between presidents; it is about thousands of jobs for flower and coffee growers and for many people earning minimum wage, which poses a huge risk. Secondly, we must restore trust from investors and international cooperation with Israel, which is one of our main strategic partners in intelligence, security, and technology.”

According to her, a professional and responsible diplomatic effort should guarantee stable relationships with the country’s primary economic and commercial partners.

On the economic front, Londoño proposed encouraging private investment and working to attract foreign capital through enhanced trust and public-private partnership policies. She emphasized that boosting employment, particularly among women and youth, is a vital part of any social stabilization plan.

“When there is meaningful work, and we address the root of the issue, work is empowering, it brings independence, and it dignifies,” she observed. Londoño highlighted the importance of closing inequality gaps with incentives for youth entrepreneurship and policies supporting labor market integration.

The selection process for the Conservative Party’s presidential candidate is currently in the registration phase, which is set to close tomorrow, December 1st, as confirmed by the candidate to Infobae Colombia. She proposed the possibility of hosting a convention involving the bases, council members, and conservative deputies as a mechanism to decide presidential endorsement.

If she becomes the candidate, Londoño pledged to collaborate with multidisciplinary technical teams in key areas such as education, infrastructure, technology, agriculture, and security, steering clear of personalistic leadership and underscoring the need for an agile and professional state.

In the interview, Juana Carolina Londoño reinforced the significance of national unity, family, and the reconstruction of values, along with the urgent need for effective and realistic solutions for disadvantaged sectors.

“I want to work for our farmers, for disheartened youth, and for women facing inequality. My goal is to unite hands and voices. Only then can we transform the reality of the country’s most forgotten territories,” she declared.