President Juan Manuel Santos said in an interview with El Pais that Colombia will be unstoppable if it manages to heal the wounds of conflict and redistribute the country’s wealth.
Speaking last Wednesday, Santos’ comments about wealth redistribution focused primarily on the Victims Law and its land restitution elements.
“The people who have worked honestly to acquire their land need not fear. The people who should fear are those who have displaced the millions of peasants and illicitly appropriated their land,” he said.
Santos added that while he acknowledges his privileged background, he rejects accusations that he is betraying his class.
“Lots of people say to me, ‘look, if you put up an agenda with a strong social emphasis, it is inconsistent with your origin.’ This makes me die of laughter. It is such a stupid thing to say,” said the president.
In September 2010 Santos said that his government would defend and advocate for the Victims Law which is still being debated in Congress.
It is expected that more than $22 billion will need to be earmarked by the government over the next ten years in order to compensate the millions of victims of the country’s long civil conflict.
In the same interview with the paper, Santos, when pushed on the issue of where he stands on the political spectrum, placed himself firmly in the center.
Santos said he has no intention of seeking re-election and that he hopes his National Development Plan for 2010-2014 will be successful enough for him to look back on his presidency with satisfaction.