Margarita Rosa de Francisco is not afraid to speak her mind in Colombia

“I believe in the voice of women” and “I have never been ashamed of my opinion”, she expressly declares Colombian writer and actress Margarita Rosa de Franciscowho believes that her book “Margarita Goes Alone” will not change people’s idea of ​​women, but it can make them think about her from other angles.

“When I think of the term ‘woman’ as if they erased (…) all our faces because we are ‘women’, says De Francisco, who in an interview with EFE at the International Book Fair in Bogota (FilBo) assures that the individuality of women disappears when women are spoken of in the singular .

The writer admits it, although in her a book she presents herself as a self-confident, independent woman who “goes alone”, it is impossible to think without help, because “every thought is fed by life, what we read, what we see, what we feel” and that the intention is “to make careful thinking, lonely and as freely as possible”.

In “Margarita goes alone” (Lumen, 2023), compilation essays, columns, diaries and personal texts, The actress known for her starring role in the Colombian telenovelas “Café, con aroma de mujer”, “Gallito Ramírez” and “Los pecados de Inés de Hinojosa” deals with topics such as desire, the female body, public display, acting, her ideas about God and the concept “I”.

I flirt with feminism

De Francisco (Cali, 1965) is out of the question “feminist” because she is “quite critical” with some positions of the movement, but claims that she “flirted with feminism” because she believes in “the voice of women, in their proposals and in a new way of thinking about them”.

The author points out that her relationship with feminism is a a constantly evolving process and that he has no “fixed ideas” about it, since he admits that he has changed his mind on several occasions and declared himself “in transit” regarding this fight, a “difficult issue” that has caused controversy and problems in his life.

She also explains that her experience in a society that has politically constructed women generated conflicts in her relationship to pleasure, eroticism and the perception of her own body, which she believes the book can contribute to the discussion of feminism on these topics.

The author believes that the female body was objectified and sexualized in Colombian society: “I experienced this judgment on the female body (…) firsthand” and “I also believe that men are victims of patriarchy”.

Opinion without contract

After 15 years as a columnist in media such as newspapers Timemagazines Poder, SoHo and Ellas, the author moved away from “writing contracts” because “thinking without a pattern” is of great importance to her.

“Writing is an essential part of my need to express myself,” says De Francisco, who said this situation led her to seek the freedom to speak her mind without restriction.

He admits that he sometimes withdrew his own opinions and apologize because he said “nonsense”, but that doesn’t stop him from still expressing himself freely.

“It’s worth expressing yourself, even if you make a mistake later,” she points out and defends the value of words, even if that means admitting mistakes and asking for forgiveness.

In this sense, the creation of her “desperiódico” and her book become spaces where she can express herself freely and where readers can reflect on their ideas without the immediacy of social networks.

Support to the Petro government

Your participation in Colombian Public Debate This made her an influential opinion leader on Twitter, from where she retired when her account reached more than 2.6 million followers due to her closeness to the president. Gustavo Petro.

“I still believe in the project Petro“, confirms De Francisco, who believes that the president is proposing “change paradigm in every way” and believes that “you will be able to see the results of this change in mentality.

For the writer, the fight against climate changes, one of Peter’s priorities, could have a profound impact on the economy, education and health in Colombia. Still, he acknowledges that dealing with economic power at home and around the world presents a significant challenge for the president.