A Choice Involving Us All
By: Carolina González.
When it comes to politics, everyone has his own particular opinion. This is especially true in a country like Colombia, where drama among politicians is very common. Usually, politics is a topic that could come up anytime during a normal conversation between friends, and it is very likely to find more than one perspective on the same political issue. As a matter of fact, Colombians distinctly enjoy communicating their opinion on the government to anyone they meet as if it were an essential part of their personality.
Nevertheless, their actual participation in the government is an entirely different story. It is no secret that elections in Colombia are a terribly bad joke, having a history of high electoral abstention rates. Considering that the year 2018 will hold various elections that will be decisive for the future of the country, it is crucial for the number of voters to increase. Without everyone´s active participation in the government, it is possible that the wrong person will end up obtaining power and destroying the progress that has been made by Colombia in the past few years regarding social and political affairs.
Recently, the presidential elections have drawn the attention of the public due to the tension that has been growing between different candidates. Political campaigns often include passive aggression towards opponents, but in Colombia, this is being taken to a whole new level. The battle for power has recently turned violent, polarized and sometimes illegal. It is now normal to hear that members of different political parties physically attack each other and that news are being manipulated by the media to favor a specific candidate.
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For example, it has been said that left politicians want to transform Colombia into a communist society following the steps of the neighbor Venezuela and that the country will be handed to outlawed armed groups. It is not difficult to understand why most people choose to stay away from such a hostile environment.
Additionally, it seems that all this melodrama has discouraged young people to get involved in the political world. Even though it might not seem like it, the participation of youth in the government is necessary to ensure its adequate functioning, as it is stated in the United Nations Development Programme (2012). The term youth not only addresses young adults but also underage students that could support the electoral process by communicating the concerns of the general population to those that are controlling the system; they could inform themselves of what is happening in the country so they can be ready to help their families in the selection of the best candidate. In Colombia, students have always been a key ingredient to transformation, so their involvement in this year´s elections could definitely secure the future of our nation.
