UN Secretary-General’s personal envoy Maria Angela Holguin has joined the campaign team of Colombian presidential candidate Sergio Fajardo ahead of the country’s 31 May presidential election, during the same period in which she has referred to electoral timing as a factor shaping developments in the Cyprus issue.
In an op-ed published this weekend, Holguin wrote that “This year, in particular, begins with a great deal of activity on the island.” She noted that “In the south, the Republic of Cyprus has assumed the Presidency of the Council of the European Union (EU), which will keep the government very busy coordinating the different issues and meetings that are routinely held in the EU.” She added that “Parliamentary elections are also coming up in May, creating a political moment that ends up limiting the possibility of significant changes.”
She further stated that “The leaders need time for ideas to ferment and for their respective internal processes to unfold,” adding: “On one side, there are parliamentary elections and the presidency of the Council of the European Union; on the other, the consolidation of the new leadership, with all that this entails.”
In Colombia, meanwhile, Fajardo announced in early January that Holguin would formally join his campaign as an adviser on diplomacy and international relations. He said she would lead visits across the country and contribute to shaping policy proposals in his government programme.
Holguin has said in an interview that her involvement in the campaign stems from concern about political polarisation in Colombia.
Noticias Caracol also broadcast footage of Fajardo and Holguin together, reporting that she is his “su pareja”. The channel said their personal relationship was among the reasons she decided to formally take part in the campaign. Opinion polls in Colombia show Fajardo ranking high among voter preferences.
While continuing her engagement on the Cyprus issue, Holguin recently invited the co-chairs of the bicommunal technical committees to London.
In her op-ed, she wrote: “Next week, we will bring together the Co-Chairs of the Technical Committees in London. I hope that we can organize more meetings of this kind in the future.”
She also outlined her approach to confidence-building in the coming months, stating: “In the coming months, I intend to continue promoting rapprochement between key groups from both communities, so that they can meet, share their visions and their fears, and exchange ideas about how best to live together on their shared island.”
Holguin concluded that she would return to Cyprus “in a few months, when I see that I can contribute to a specific step forward and the leaders consider that the UN’s presence is useful to facilitate decision-making.”
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