Is the Colombian government coherent with its actions?
By: María Paula Marín 10B
On January the 26th the Colombian politician, diplomatic, and minister of defense, Carlos Holmes Trujillo died at the Military Hospital of Bogotá. Holmes Trujillo had been interned at the Intensive Care Unit since the 15th due to a severe viral pneumonia that had been caused by COVID-19. During the time he remained at the hospital, the minister was sedated and on a respirator. Hours later after the news of his death had been released to the public eye, the president, Iván Duque, claimed in an interview with La FM that three days of mourning were decreed. “We are going to pay tribute to all those who had died from this disease and of course to our defense minister “stated the president.
Now, speaking from a more personal point of view, I agree with the president. As Colombians we should stand together and be stronger than ever, to mourn the loss of those whose lives have been taken away by the virus. Whether it’s the life of a minister or a farmer, as Colombians we must understand that right now families are going through a rough time. I express my sincere condolences for those who have lost a relative or friend during this pandemic. However, I must confess I’m concerned with the government’s coherency. I agree with Duque’s statement; yet why hadn’t he declared it before? To me, it seems that he declared this statement pointing and thinking more specifically about his colleague, rather than the other thousands of Colombians who died because of COVID. Thousands of people have been dying due to this deadly disease; however, no declaration to mourn for three days had been made before. But now that a more “important” political figure has died, it seems relevant to grieve? I am in no way, shape, or form trying to sound disrespectful towards Carlos Holmes Trujillo’s family; I sincerely hope his soul rests in peace. Nevertheless, his life is just as equally important as the rest of diseased Colombians, so why is the president just now expressing this statement. As a matter of fact, why hasn’t at least a week been announced to grieve for the loss of those who have been massacred. For instance, days before the minister’s death, six people had been massacred in Buga, Valle del Cauca. And this is just one example from many others. So what now? Do we live in a country where the government prioritizes certain lives? Is this who we are? Is this what we represent as a society?
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/mundo/noticias-america-latina-55806414