Iván Duque Márquez
Duque began his professional career in 1999 as a consultant at the Andean Development Corporation (CAF) and later served as an advisor to the Ministry of Finance under the Presidency of Andrés Pastrana.
Subsequently, he worked at the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB) from 2001 to 2013. There he served as Senior Advisor to the Executive Directorate for Colombia, Peru, and Ecuador.
As an international adviser to former President Álvaro Uribe Vélez, his tasks included the promotion of Colombia abroad. Between 2010 and 2011 he was an advisor to the United Nations on the Fleet Incident Investigation Panel between Israel and Turkey, known as Mavi Marmara.
Duque is the sole candidate of the Democratic Center for the Presidency of the Republic.
His international proposals, if elected, include the following: “Our diplomacy will be based on convictions supported by State policies. We will defend constructivist approaches in the exercise of foreign policy, but we will not be indifferent to denouncing abuses of international law by governments that seek to oppress their people.”
In the exercise of professional diplomacy, Duque promises to strengthen the consular service, modernize diplomatic career paths and articulate diplomatic practice according to the specific needs of each diplomatic relationship. He would furthermore “…defend the inter-American system and trade integration, but we will not be accomplices of the indifference of UNASUR with what is happening in Venezuela.”
Another of his proposals states: “We will create a network of small exporters, supported by simplification of procedures, technical support and digital platforms that add the offer to open larger and better international markets.” He also promises to invest in tourism by maintaining for a further four years the current tax benefits for hotel operators; the promotion of experiece-based, ecological and adventure tourism; and the development of tourism capacity and offerings in the South of the country and along our coasts.”
