Francia Márquez – the famous environmental activist and Colombia’s first black female vice president – was on the line and wanted two outfits made. “When I got her call, it was amazing because it wasn’t just about me or her, it was about our whole community,” said Sinisterra, an Afro-Colombian who runs the bespoke label, Esteban African. “This is a story written by all those who were excluded and ignored, but one day stood up and said, ‘We want change for our community.’ Designer Esteban Sinisterra Paz: “No one like us and Francia was ever considered, but now we know we can achieve so much.” Photo: The Washington Post/Getty Images Sinisterra and millions of other voters got their wish on the evening of June 16, when Gustavo Petro, 62 – a former rebel and former mayor of Bogotá, the capital – won the presidency after a long and bitter campaign to wrest power from the country. political elites. When Petro takes office today, it will be the first time the conservative South American country has been ruled by a leftist. His campaign was boosted by the addition of 40-year-old Márquez to the ticket, who made global headlines when she ran as Petro’s running mate in March. Like Petro – who was a member of the now-defunct M-19 guerrilla group in his youth – Márquez is treated as an outsider. Much of her support often comes from not being a typical politician, with fair skin and rich political and business titles. “Their victory made me really believe in democracy,” Sinistera said. “No one like us and Francia was ever considered, but now we know we can achieve so much when we work collectively.” Márquez, a single mother and former domestic worker, won the prestigious Goldman Prize in 2018 for her activism against a gold mine in her village, having led 80 women on a 350-mile march through Bogotá. Like Márquez, Sinisterra was displaced by Colombia’s conflict with leftist rebel groups, including the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc), which have roiled the countryside for decades, claiming more than 260,000 lives and forcing seven million to flee the country. their homes. Other rebel groups, such as the still-active National Liberation Army (ELN), state-aligned paramilitaries and Colombian security forces, have also committed atrocities. A peace deal signed with the Farc in 2016 was supposed to lead to the development of rural communities, but instead other armed groups – left and right in ideology, but united by their involvement in the drug trade – have settled in and are now fighting for territory. Sinisterra was forced to leave his home in Colombia’s southwestern Nariño province as a young boy when fighting between rival groups became too intense. “There were so many armed groups around, we didn’t even know who was who, but my family knew we had to leave,” the designer said. “I was one of the few young Colombians who was able to escape the war.” The designer said Márquez’s clothes, with their bright colors and patterns, reflected Afro-Colombian traditions. “Red is what we use when we want to create that impact of the power of a woman from the Pacific,” Sinisterra said. “Francia never really had her own aesthetic because she was so focused on her fight, so it was great to work with her to create one without losing her essence.” Despite massive support for Márquez and Petro in marginalized communities and in many cities, the pair will face an incredible array of challenges to power. Inflation is rising alongside the country’s national debt, cocaine production is at an all-time high and neighboring Venezuela continues to sink into economic crisis, with refugees fleeing to Colombia every day. Petros, known for a towering ego and lofty style, will also have to manage his vice president, who commands his own support base and is a young politician unaccustomed to the dealings often required in the halls of power. “Márquez is an activist who is used to demanding often impossible things,” said Sergio Guzmán, director and co-founder of Colombia Risk Analysis, a local consultancy. “So the question is, how long will he have patience with Peter to deliver on his promises of agrarian reform, economic justice and renegotiation of the free trade agreement with the United States?” But for Márquez’s supporters, it represents a rare opportunity to advance the rights of Colombia’s poorest, who are celebrating her intention to create an equality ministry. “Francia is the first black vice president of a country that for a long time decided to make people like her invisible and gave importance only to white men,” said Yasila Bondo, a young Afro-Colombian activist. “Now the panorama is wide open.”
