Colombia VP Blames Racism for Four Years of Frustration

Colombia’s first Black vice-president, Francia Márquez, has spoken openly about the challenges she has faced during her four years in office, attributing much of her frustration to systemic racism within the Colombian state. In an interview with The Guardian, Márquez said her ability to take on a leading role in government was consistently blocked, despite being elected alongside President Gustavo Petro in 2022 as part of a historic leftwing ticket.

“The three of us were unable to take on leading roles within our governments. On the contrary, we were blocked,” Márquez said, referring to herself and two other Black women who have served as vice-president in the Americas: Epsy Campbell Barr of Costa Rica and Kamala Harris of the United States. “This has been a strategy of racism, and it doesn’t matter whether the government is right or left. it has happened,” she added.

Márquez, who is 44, made history when she became the first Afro-Colombian woman to hold the vice-presidency in a country where at least 10% of the population is of African descent. Her election was widely seen as a symbolic breakthrough for representation in national leadership. However, she said that upon taking office, she encountered political marginalisation and institutional resistance that limited her influence.

At the vice-presidential residence in Bogotá, a gallery of portraits displays all former vice-presidents since Colombia became a republic in 1886. Every one of them is white. Márquez noted that when her term ends in August 2026, she will be the first Black woman to have her face included on that wall.

She described her experience as one of frustration, saying that despite her electoral mandate, she was unable to fully exercise the responsibilities of her office. Márquez did not specify the exact nature of the obstacles she faced but emphasized that they were rooted in racial bias embedded in state institutions.

Her comments come amid broader discussions about race and inclusion in Colombia, where Afro-Colombian and Indigenous communities have long faced disparities in access to political power, economic opportunity, and social services. Márquez has previously served as an environmental and social activist, notably leading a protest against illegal gold mining in her home region of Cauca, for which she was awarded the Goldman Environmental Prize in 2018.

As her term concludes, Márquez said she has decided not to run for president in the upcoming election. She did not elaborate on her future plans but stressed that her time in office had been meaningful as a step toward greater representation, even if her ability to govern was constrained.