About Radical Change Political Party
Radical Change is also known as Cambio Radical in the Spanish language and this is the reason its symbol is stylized as C and backward R. It is a political party in Columbia. The president of this party is Jorge Enrique Vélez. The party split from the liberal party of Columbia. The party symbol is of red and blue color. The political position of the party is center-right to the right-wing. Its headquarters is in Bogotá.
Present Situation of Radical Change Party
On 12 March 2006, after the elections, the Radical Change Party became one of the most dominant in the new Congress. It received 20 seats in the lower house and 15 seats in the upper house. Along with the Social Party of National Unity or Party of the U which is the second-largest party in the lower house and the second largest in the upper house and the Conservative Party, it was the main ally of President Álvaro Uribe in Congress and formed part of his majority.
The party is constantly distressed by connections to the Colombian parapolitics scandal.
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Origin of Radical Change Political Party
Ernesto Samper Pizano served as the President of Colombia, representing the liberal party from 1994 to 1998. But after his incumbency, the party was moving towards a new social democratic route while the voting blocs of the liberal party were not happy with this. The result of which the political position of the party changed from center-right to the right-wing and split away which was the only reason for the formation of the Radical Change Party. However, during the nineties, the party did not run for either parliamentary or presidential elections. On July 5, 2000, it took its present name.
Government of Álvaro Uribe
In the 2002 elections, the Radical Change won two seats in the Senate which is the upper house of the Congress of Columbia, and seven seats in the chamber of representatives. After that, the Radical Change political party joined a coalition with the Government of Álvaro Uribe and voted in favor of the their-elections project. This project involved changing sections of the constitution that prevent a President from running for a second term. This 2006 election was their best electoral year. The party became the fourth largest political group in Congress which has 15 Senators and 18 representatives. They stayed in the coalition with the administration of Uribe and supported his candidacy for re-election. A man named German Vargas Lleras who was the leader of the party and Senator at that time became one of the most active voices of the Senate.
Separation of Radical Change Political Party
The largest party in Congress, which was the new U Party of Uribe, proposed to change the constitution. But again this allowed the President to run for a third term. The party was divided between two one those who wanted second direct re-election for a third term and the other who were against it. Vargas Lleras was among the people who opposed it.
However, a second term was considered unconstitutional by the Supreme court. But the damage was done and those who still supported Uribe left the party to run for Congress in the parliamentary elections of 2010 with the newly formed U party.
In 2010, the party faced big blows as they lost votes and members in both chambers including 7 Senators and two Representatives. In the 2010 presidential election, Vargas Lleras at that time ran as the candidate and he finished in third place in the first round. The party joined John Manuel Santos who was the first-round winner. They formed the National Unity Pact along with the Liberal Party and the Conservative Party. The motive of this pact was that they would work together for the next four years.
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The Formation of National Unity Pact
The Radical Change Party helped the government in most of the agendas in Congress.
When the peace talks started with the FARC, the party submitted their approval and criticized Álvaro Uribe who was the President at that time for opposing dialogue.
In 2014, the party took part in the parliamentary elections and also joined a coalition with Santos for his re-election. At that time, Vargas Lleras was named as the vice-presidential candidate. In 2010, the party received fewer votes but they added one Senator and lost one seat in the lower chamber that year. Santos won the second round of the elections and this vice-presidential position made him the highest party had ever visited.
The ideology of the Radical Change Political Party
The ideology of the Radical Change political party includes Conservative liberalism, Economic Liberalism, and historical Galvanism.
Political positions held by the Radical Change
Radical Change held 30 seats out of 172 in the Chamber of Representatives,16 seats out of 108 in the Senate, and the party had 7 governors out of 32.
Conclusion
Radical Change is a political party that is led by the former vice president German Vargas. At present time, Carlos Fernando Galan who is the son of assassinated Liberal party politician Luis Carlos Galan is the leader of the Radical Change party. The party has gone through a lot but ended up teaming up with parliamentary groups.
So this was an overall description and detailed history of the Radical Change political party of Colombia.