By Luis Jaime Acosta
Feb 11 (Reuters) - Colombian presidential hopeful and self-described "outsider" Abelardo De La Espriella would launch a military offensive to restore security and boost the economy, he told Reuters on Wednesday.
De La Espriella, 47, a lawyer and businessman considered a right-wing candidate by analysts, is leading in some polls for the May presidential elections, in a close race with left-wing senator Ivan Cepeda, who seeks to continue the current policies of outgoing President
Gustavo Petro.
"In my government, there will be no peace processes," said De La Espriella. He has criticized Petro's peace policy, arguing it has allowed guerrilla groups and criminal gangs to strengthen through drug trafficking and illegal gold mining.
Petro launched a “total peace” policy to halt military operations and pursue talks and ceasefires to end the conflict, although negotiations have largely failed to produce that outcome. Still, De La Espriella's main opponent on the left, Cepeda, has promised he will similarly prioritize dialogue over conflict.
"Bandits who do not surrender will be taken down as the law dictates. And if they surrender, they will be imprisoned in a real jail," De La Espriella told Reuters in an interview in Bogota, flanked by a strong security presence of police and armed soldiers.
As an independent, De La Espriella will skip party primaries in March, proceeding directly to the election's first round on May 31.
He has pledged to resume bombings against illegal armed groups - to the extent current laws allow, he says - and initiate aerial fumigation of coca leaf crops with herbicides.
Drug trafficking fuels Colombia's six-decade internal conflict, which has resulted in over 450,000 deaths.
He also intends to promote replacing coca leaf crops with cacao and African palm, helping farmers move away from illegal activities.
SECURITY FOR GROWTH
De La Espriella, a married father of four, promised to renew strategic alliances with the U.S. and Israel to equip the military and police with advanced weaponry, increasing the security budget and personnel.
His political movement, known as "Defenders of the Homeland," emphasizes security as part of his plan for economic growth. This includes reducing the size of the government by 40%, reactivating Colombia's hydrocarbons sector - which has declined under current policies promoting renewables - and cutting taxes to increase private investment.
"If we have security, we will have investors, because there will be confidence to invest. If we have confidence to invest, we will have social investment," he told Reuters.
De La Espriella, who says "politics needs fewer politicians and more businessmen," believes his government could achieve between 6% and 7% annual economic growth by boosting infrastructure, construction, agriculture, and tourism.
The businessman, with experience across sectors, portrays himself as the best leader for Colombia, a global exporter of oil, coal, coffee, and flowers, stressing his lack of ties to traditional politics.
"I am independent ... I do not belong to the political caste," he said.
(Reporting by Luis Jaime Acosta; Editing by David Gregorio)
