Colombia’s presidential frontrunner, the far-right Abelardo de la Espriella, has made misogyny a prominent component of his election campaign. His opposition to abortion, adoption by gay couples and trans rights has manifested in the cultivating of an alpha male persona that he deliberately connects to ideas of patriotism, family and Catholicism. That this is central to his public profile evidences his strategy of mobilising a particular sector of conservatism.
De la Espriella has repeatedly referred to having ‘the balls’ to bring order to Colombia, implying that what the country requires is a strong male leader. This alludes to sexual virility as a means to impose one’s will upon the rest. In April, while on a campaign visit to a ceramics workshop, he made sexual insinuations about one of the women working there, belittling her in front of cameras.
He has singled out women journalists for sexist treatment, encouraging one to review a photograph of his behind: ‘my love, don’t be shy,’ he told her. He has exhibited verbal aggression when speaking to women journalists or attempted to flirt with them as they carry out their work. One well-known journalist said that De la Espriella had rejected an interview with her as, quoting him, ‘one should never engage in any argument with a woman, because … one always loses.’ The reference is that women cannot engage in critical debate as they will revert to other actions, typically of an irrational nature.
Furthermore, on International Women’s Day, he told an audience that ‘women need to occupy their rightful place.’ When questioned what this rightful place was, De la Espriella responded: ‘On a throne, darling! You are wonderful. I find you all so sensational. A woman’s body, what she says, her ability to procreate. Everything is wonderful.’ His attitude here towards women reduces women to subjects of sexuality and motherhood, whose role is nothing more than to compliment and adorn the macho universe in which De la Espriella presents himself as king.
While his open sexism reflects a deeply unappealing character, the election of a De la Espriella government would enact a major drive to roll back the hard-won advances in recent years for reproductive rights, LGBT rights and the fight against discrimination.