Speech by Juan Manuel Santos (Partido de la U), Campaign opening in Barranquilla, March 16, 2014





Barranquilla, March 16, 2014 (Press Campaign JMS) -. Thanks, Barranquilla! ... Thanks, Colombia! .... Thank you all for being here at the launch of my campaign!

Today I see with pride the progress of this great city.

Where the team qualified for the finals, the House of our team. So here we can only speak of hope and victory.

So today we come to Barranquilla, my faithful bride, to tell the country: We are ready! We are ready to go ahead and finish the job!

Thank you because together ... With you !, we are transforming Colombia.

And together, together, we will continue to do so!

Thank you, thank you very much, because in the elections last Sunday, Barranquilla, Colombia coast and whole showed that they do not want to give or a step back, they want to move forward!

Thank you very much also to German Vargas Lleras, an outstanding Colombian, who has shown that they can work in Colombia and I'm sure will be a vice president of luxury.

And thank you very much all her heart -of whom I owe more and more ... I owe my family: Maria Clemencia, Martin, Maria Antonia and Esteban.

My family has been my strength, my greatest support and my greatest pride. I thank you for putting on this new path!

Today we tell from Barranquilla to Colombia:

We are ready for the great challenge to finally achieve peace and prosperity for all.

We are all ready, those who are here and those throughout Colombia, every corner, we are ready to stop living in fear!

We are ready for total peace!

And why we talk about Paz Total?

Because we will find, of course, that the guns fall silent, we will find, of course, there is no more war! ... But we know that peace is more.

Total Peace is to build on what we have already advanced and built.

Total Peace is that all Colombians have more opportunities.

Total Peace is propose that all Colombian families the dignity of one's own roof.

Total Peace is to turn the country into a source of development, rather than being a pole of poverty.

Total Peace is that anyone looking for work, get it! And everyone who wants to start their little business or your business, you can do so!

Total peace is to eradicate poverty in the next 10 years ... Is it possible?

Total and peace is to work together so that we are the most educated country in Latin America in 2025, in 10 years! And also it is possible!

They are great goals. These are ambitious goals. These are difficult goals. But we do it because the Colombians have to think big, we need to be ambitious with our goals, our dreams, because if we unite, as we have already accomplished a great deal, together we can get what we want and more of what we have achieved.

4 years ago we also got some big goals, which many said could not be achieved. We said we were going to create 2 million and a half jobs and formalize half a million.

Impossible! Pessimists always said ... And we did it!

We said we were going to substantially reduce poverty and inequality, and poverty would fall to single digits.

Impossible! They returned to say ... And we did it!

We said we would we get to fight the main leaders of the guerrillas and Bacrim ... And we did it!

We said that we will pay the dignity of Colombia abroad, and most Colombians would not be second-class citizens in the world ... And we did it!

Now we are removing the visas in every country around the world! In Central America, South America, Europe ... And we're going to America!

But we are not satisfied ... I am not satisfied ... And I know you do not either!

Because in Colombia we have certainly come a long way, but we can do much, much more ...

In our country there are too many social injustices, families homeless and hungry, jobless ...

In recent years I have seen about poverty, pain and despair ... The anguish of parents who can not bring them the basics, at least their children ...

As Colombian hurts ... As a parent I understand ... For them we have to work! For the most vulnerable, the needy! And together, the entire country, all of us, we will!

And you may wonder what the big goals ... In the next four years which will make this government, what will make this President ...

Well, here, from Barranquilla, I say: If we lower the unemployment to single digits ... now we have to redouble our efforts so that more and more Colombians obtain good and stable jobs, with all compensations of the law, or do business. The new goal is to reduce unemployment to 7 percent ... That means creating 2 million and a half jobs in the next four years ... And we can do it!

Now we lift millions of Colombians from poverty and extreme poverty ... That is very important ... but we are still too many left for Colombians out of poverty and extreme poverty ...

So we have a big goal, which fills one's heart with enthusiasm to achieve: going to disappear, to eradicate poverty in this country over the next 10 years. And we can achieve. If we did what we did in the last four years, we can achieve this. Colombia is too rich country, with people too capable, to that shameful position of having almost 10 percent of the population in poverty is given. We are going to correct.

And how we do it? As we have been doing. Strengthening early childhood programs, the De Cero program always, my lady so enthusiastically promoted

Increasing the number of families and strengthening the Families in Action Program ...

Increasing and strengthening the Youth in Action Programme and also very important program, the Mayor of Colombia.

The latter program has allowed us to give benefits to 1 million 200 thousand elderly. The goal in the next four years is to double that number, so that in 2018 no senior is left out of the benefits program.

And we will also overcome another major obstacle to our development. Let's give much more attention and resources to the field, because it is there in the countryside where poverty is concentrated.

And we will do much to improve our health care system so that all Colombians not only have quick access and quality of service.

And we will do carrying potable water and sewerage services to more than million Colombians have not yet, as we have been doing in these four years.

More than two and a half million Colombians got water for the first time, more than two million 600 thousand Colombians had access to sewer service for the first time. And we will strengthen!

You know that with Germán Vargas we committed to build 100 thousand free for the poorest of the poor households, 9000 of them in the Atlantic!

They said it was impossible, we branded as liars, we called him a populist. Well, we are achieving! We have already delivered 45 000 and 100 000 will deliver this year.

I ask you: do you believe, as some say, to build houses for the poor is throwing the money? Me neither. We will fulfill the goal. But there are still too many Colombians homeless.

Every time you hand him the keys to a family, hugging me and thanked me because a dream I had met, I think that for every family there are two or three who are homeless.

So our goal is to build one million homes, and most are for the most vulnerable, the poorest, most needy, and some do not like. That will be our goal.

We will launch a revolutionary program that we have been designing with the National Savings Fund, for hundreds of thousands of Colombians who today have no home and are paying a lease, that lease becomes a savings in payment for the lease not vanish, but those tenants will accumulate and Colombians today, own their homes tomorrow.

The plan is already designed, the plan is going to launch, as are resources and this plan will allow us to say that Colombia will eradicate the housing shortage will disappear, and the Colombians, all owners will be home.

And we can do it because we showed. In these four years they were started or 900 thousand homes were built, and that gives credibility and legitimacy to get even bigger goals. What more social and more just how to help those who are homeless to get their own house?

Today all children from zero degree to grade 11 have access to a fully free education. That was a great achievement, but we have to do much to improve the quality of that education.

To achieve that goal, the great ambitious goal of being the most educated country in Latin America in 2025, we will promote training and teacher excellence. How important are teachers!

Here we will emphasize to teachers through increasingly we improve the quality of education of our children.

We will also continue with the revolution of the Seine to prepare young Colombians in the trades that are asking businesses and thus ensure not only a job, as they are already doing, but also a prosperous future.

And we will continue the technology revolution for every Colombian, every child, every student, the advantage to improve their education, to improve their health, to improve their welfare.

This year we will fulfill another promise they told us was impossible to meet, this year all municipalities of the Atlantic, all municipalities of the Caribbean Coast, all municipalities in Colombia, will be connected to the Internet.

What does that mean? Any child in the most remote site of Colombia will have the same access, the same technology, with rich kids in Bogota, Miami, New York or Tokyo. That's equal opportunities! And we are achieving.

And if we grow, if we want to compete successfully, create more and more jobs in the world, as it is doing Barranquilla, we have to have good roads, railways, best airports, navigable rivers that connect us among Colombians. And we're at it.

Thank you, for example, to the concessions already in place, in four years we can go from Cali to Medellin, Medellin to the coast, from Bogota to Buenaventura, in almost half the time than now that path is taken.

And I also want to reiterate to you my commitment to Barranquilla, my commitment to you and to the Caribbean region, the commitment I made four years ago. 110 Such promises have been fulfilling the rigorous and will continue to meet to consolidate the Caribbean coast as a production and export region, to continue reducing unemployment, creating more jobs and reducing poverty.

In the last three and a half years we have contributed to the development of the Caribbean coast of this region, with resources and projects as they had never done before any government. I not me. They say all governors, mayors say it all, people are seeing the resources that we are investing.

For example, we received the Ruta del Sol without running, we're running and are approaching Barranquilla increasingly Coast and the interior of the country, at a pace that no one had imagined. More than 300 kilometers of dual carriageway built per year.

The Atlantic and its municipalities now receive royalties only by more resources than ever before to invest in projects that directly benefit the people, but we know that much more needed.

We will advance key projects to connect with the rest of Barranquilla Colombia and the world!

The Cartagena-Barranquilla dual carriageway from Villa Maria to the roundabout of the race 10 with Route 40.

The dual carriageway between Barranquilla Santa Marta, environmental obstacle if we superar.Y the corridor Puerta de Hierro - Palmar de Varela and Carreto - Cruz del Viso, to connect the Atlantic with Sucre and Bolivar.

And not to mention what it means to fulfill the dream of Bolivar, Magdalena river that is navigable 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, from Puerto Salgar to Bocas de Ceniza, a project that has already begun and we commit yourselves to carry to an end. That will change the lives of many Colombians, many coastal, many Barranquilla.

We will also realize a dream that has long Barranquilla, construction of the new bridge Pumarejo. If we want a navigable river, we need a new bridge and we're going to do.

And crucially, óigase well, for all departments in the Caribbean, not just departments also Caribbean Pacific: going to pass legislation and implement the necessary policies to keep our costs continue to erode, continue to disappear because we need to save our costs and we will make. It is a major project of great importance, and we will do.

And we can not forget, one must always be grateful, this scenario where we are now. Baseball This scenario has caused so much joy to Barranquilla, which bears the name of that great player, Tomas Arrieta. This scenario requires an overhaul and as a tribute of gratitude from you Barranquilleros and of all Colombians, of gratitude for that star that so much glory and joy brought to us, Edgar Renteria, will reshape this stage in his name.

And something very important: we will concentrate on security, because without security, no peace, no progress is possible. Four years ago promised to consolidate democratic security, and our law enforcement has the strongest blows to the guerrillas, criminal gangs and common criminals, but on the issue of public safety I am not satisfied, we can not be satisfied, always We can do more, and go for more!

Extortion, drug trafficking, robbery, theft of cell phones, the heist on the streets, are problems faced every day all Colombians, and problems we face are harder and more forceful.

So we will provide new technology to the police, the authorities tools, and we will continue to increase their presence in towns and camps, as I did yesterday here in the Atlantic, after announcing 300 policemen in the coming weeks.

Barranquilla Today I reaffirm my declaration of war against mobsters ... criminals who will not let us live in peace.

Not a truce, not a break in the fight against violent criminals! We have won more powerful enemies, and these also will break.

Come with all the tranquility and security of Colombians!

But do not forget that true security, the ultimate security is peace.

So I believe in peace! ... I believe in peace!

Do you believe in peace?

I know you understand me! Because I do not speak of my government peace or peace of Juan Manuel Santos. Do not!

I speak of peace of all -¡de all Colombians - and together, all united, we must defend it.

Peace is never to have to tell a mother to sacrifice a son by a senseless war.

The generation that is born today, Barranquilleros children in their cribs, should be, it has to be the generation of peace. That has to be the generation of peace. Peace is having the courage to reconcile, to forgive, to overcome hatred. Peace is to work for the future rather than anchored in the past.

So barranquilleros ones and dear friends of the Colombian Caribbean:

These elections will be the most important of the last 50 years.

Colombians will choose between two paths.

The path of fear. Or the way of hope.

Among the path of war. Or the way of peace.

Between pessimism and optimism ...

We will choose to cling to the past or will we build a better future.

I asked them barranquilleros you: do you prefer anchored to the past or build a better future?

We will build a better future!

I want the future!

10 years ago nobody would have imagined that one of the stars of world economies, we would be closing social gaps rapidly or we'd be so close to peace ... and we're getting!

So ... we will not fear big.

Do not be afraid to break the chains of the past.

Do not be afraid to build a truly country full of opportunities.

Together we can achieve!

Together, with the efforts of the Caribbean we will succeed!

We'll have the country we dream!

America is possible!

And launch this campaign from the legendary stadium slam of National Unity, the stadium will draw the will draw the stadium, the stadium will draw!

Thank you.

- See more at: http://prensa.santospresidente.com/discursos/palabras-de-juan-manuel-santos-antes-miles-de-seguidores-en-el-estadio-tomas-arrieta-de-barranquilla#sthash.sBj8Vs4u.dpuf
