THE CONGRESS has the ball of the reforms in its “court” and its job should be to improve them and make the changes that they are.
This was indicated by the senator of the Green Alliance, Angélica Lozano, regarding what will be the last part of this first legislature, at the time in which she confirmed that she will aspire to succeed Roy Barreras in the presidency of the corporation from the 20th of July.
EL NUEVO SIGLO: Will he aspire to the presidency of the Senate?
ANGELICA LOZANO:Of course! It’s time for women, the change is with women. The Senate has only had three female presidents in its history in 200 years. I am part of the Green Party, of the government coalition, I have experience, the ability to build bridges between everyone, with the government’s agenda, with respect for those who are in the strip of independents and in the opposition. We exercised the opposition eight years in Congress, and everyone must have guarantees. I have accumulated experience and the ability to contribute to building consensus.
THE NEW CENTURY: How do you see the outlook for the reforms that are rooted in Congress?
Angelica Lozano: It is time for Congress, Congress has the ball in the court. The Government put three very deep social reforms on sensitive issues, which are necessary. Undoubtedly, it is necessary to improve the health system, as well as a better pension system and adapt the labor reality. The evolution in Colombia of these phenomena gives rise to discussion. Congress must take the reforms seriously, we must improve the reforms, make the changes that they are.
THE NEW CENTURY: Facing the labor reform, what is the position?
Angelica Lozano: Since this reform began in the Chamber, I will vote on it only in the fourth debate, when it reaches the plenary session of the Senate. I believe that the three reforms are very sensitive, necessary and of the utmost care.
Labor has undeniable things. Who is going to deny that 7 or 8 at night are night and not day? You can’t cover the sun with a finger. I think it will be a fact to recognize the night schedule with its surcharges and the Sunday schedule with its surcharge. That is a fact, I find it difficult for these realities not to be recognized.
There are other points of greater debate such as, for example, extending the reinforced stability. Also the right to strike in essential public services. I oppose! Education is a right, health is a right. What about the medical staff on strike in a pandemic?
pension balance
EL NUEVO SIGLO: How do you see the pension reform?
ANGELICA LOZANO: It is urgent, because in a country of 50 million people, where 30 million are adults, there are only two and a half million pensioners. It is an urgent, necessary reform, but it is also extremely complex and difficult.
I like that unfair competition is over in the number of weeks that the private regime and the public regime have today. For example, in Colpensiones you need 1,300 weeks, but in private funds 1,150. That was a hook that encouraged unfair competition, which encouraged a massive affiliation to some funds. That is unfair, it is playing unfairly, because then it goes to reality and the number of pensioners, I do not know if it reaches 100 thousand in the private regime.
I like, then, that the competition ends in the number of weeks. They have to be the same weeks. I think the pillar system is sensible, reasonable and necessary. It is a very positive leap, but we need to have the data to know the sustainability over time.
There is also an ethical imperative, what must be done?: give an economic benefit to the elderly who are not going to retire and who are vulnerable people. It is a sum of 220 thousand pesos, which was criticized a lot in the Minimum Solidarity Income, which was one of all these contingency programs for the pandemic. That income of 220,000 pesos managed to feed many people and avoid a greater depth of poverty.
It has been proven that, even if it is a very small figure, it is an enormous challenge to be able to guarantee it until death, because the Solidarity Income is a temporary benefit and one fine day they take it away. What happened? The Department of Social Prosperity already took away that income.
Clearly, it is needed and we need to do the math. In France, citizens contribute for 43 years and we contribute for 26. So I have many questions and that is why we have to see the data.
THE NEW CENTURY: And the health reform?
ANGELICA LOZANO: I support that a health reform must be carried out, the question is, what are we going to reform? We must concentrate on improving the system, not risk inventing what is already working. It is very pertinent and very valuable to achieve a health scheme that does work in dispersed rural areas, in that more rural Colombia. We must improve the job stability of health personnel, guarantee that there is more space to train specialists. I don’t agree with going back to Social Security, with inventing politicized regional funds, that has already failed.
THE NEW CENTURY: Was Congress indebted to political reform?
ANGELICA LOZANO: No, I think that Congress sank a shameful reform at a good time, because the Petro government’s reforms are all structural. You may or may not agree, but they are long-term and structural, except for political reform, that was a quilt of self-gifts and short-term electoral self-benefits. I’m glad it sank.