Vélez in the morning | 'The referendum is in the hands of Angélica Lozano': Jota Pe' Hernández

Green Alliance Senator Jonathan Ferney Pulido Hernández , better known as 'Jota Pe' Hernández, stated that a new and possible vote on the referendum in the Senate is in the hands of Senator Angélica Lozano.

In an interview on the program Vélez por la mañana , by journalist Luis Carlos Vélez, the opposition congressman stated that after the collapse of the referendum in the Senate and President Gustavo Petro's request that it be voted on again and that a question on health be added, it became clear that the Government and the ruling party, the Historic Pact, "what they want is to have the financing of an early political campaign and a 'mini-reelection' as Armando Benedetti (Minister of the Interior) himself stated."

Hernández stated that the government isn't really interested in labor reform, which was "resurrected" this week in the Senate plenary session with the approval of the appeal of the labor reform debate.

Regarding the President's announcement that he will reintroduce the referendum next Monday, May 19, the Santander congressman indicated that opposition senators must demonstrate that the government has a strategy for politicking and not a concern for workers and the healthcare system.

When asked whether the 49 senators who voted "yes" would remain in the vote in a possible new referendum, Hernández responded that they would, and that the senators who did not vote the first time, such as Senator Angélica Lozano, would decide the outcome of the referendum. She was going to vote "yes" but was unable to because she was giving an interview.

The congressman added that it is contradictory that Senator Lozano will vote on the referendum when she is the president of the Fourth Committee, which is in charge of processing the labor reform . He stated that nine senators did not vote, of which six—from the Conservative and Radical Change parties—must vote "no" on the caucus law, and three, Angélica Lozano, Marta Peralta, and Richard Fuelantala, will vote "yes" for the first two votes, and "no" in the case of Fuelantala. Lozano could vote "yes," but, according to Hernández, she should not do so because she is leading the debate on labor reform.

Hernández admits the possibility that if the labor referendum is voted on again, there could be a "vote-finish" or a tie, in which case it should be re-elected. It's worth remembering that the vote ended with 49 votes against and 47 in favor of the referendum.

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