Green Party presidential candidate Antanas Mockus met with Colombian President Alvaro Uribe on Wednesday evening, and asked the national leader if he thought Mockus was capable of caring for the country’s “eggs of prosperity.”
During the two hour meeting, scheduled at the Green candidate’s request, Mockus and Uribe spoke about taxes, Colombia’s health system, social services and the care of the nation’s “eggs of prosperity.”
“I could also take care of these eggs that you value so much, yes or no,” Mockus asked the president, who did not respond directly to the question, the candidate later told the press.
Mockus was referring to a comment made by Uribe via his Twitter account, in which he said that Colombia’s “eggs of prosperity,” which represent the “democratic security” policy, investor confidence and social policy, need to be cared for by the same “hen.”
“If a hen is on the ground laying eggs, and then someone changes the hen, it is very possible that instead of little chicks being born, [the eggs] will be damaged,” Uribe later explained.
Despite Uribe’s previously stated concerns over Mockus’ plans to raise taxes, the president “did not reject the idea” when it was raised during the meeting, according to the Green candidate.
Mockus asked to meet with Uribe, after the president met with Partido de la U candidate Juan Manuel Santos Monday. Mockus said Uribe should meet with him too, in the interest of remaining “impartial.”
Uribe has criticized Mockus in the past for the Green candidate’s stance on security.
Santos and Mockus will face-off in a second round presidential election on June 20.