Two anti-establishment candidates, Gustavo Petro, a leftist, and Rodolfo Hernández, a right-wing populist, captured the top two seats in Sunday’s Colombian presidential election, dealing a blow to the country’s dominant conservative political class.
The two men will compete in a sprint election on June 19 that is said to be one of the most consequential elections in the country’s history. The country’s economic model, democratic integrity and the livelihoods of millions of people pushed into poverty during the pandemic are at stake.
Daniel García-Peña, a Colombian political scientist, argues that facing Petro-Hernández, “change resists change”.
Fifty-four percent of eligible voters turned out in the election, the same percentage as in 2018, when Petro faced the incumbent president, Iván Duque, and a host of other candidates.
The day was largely peaceful as millions of Colombians voted, despite growing unrest in parts of the country that have seen the rise of armed groups.
In a country where vote buying and Election Day threats are not uncommon, the Electoral Observation Mission, a network of civil society organisations, said it had received 17 reports on vote buying and 13 cases of pressure from private companies to vote for some of the candidates. The military also found two improvised explosive devices, one about 300 feet from the polling station.
If Mr. Petro wins a foreign election next month, he will become Colombia’s first left-wing president, a pivotal moment for a country that has long been led by a conservative establishment. player.
His rise reflects not only a leftist shift across Latin America, but also the anti-authoritarian fervor that took hold as the pandemic has increased poverty and inequality, increasing poverty. sense that the region’s economies were built primarily to serve the elite.
Petro has vowed to transform Colombia’s economic system, which he says fuels inequality, by expanding social programs, stopping oil exploration and shifting the country’s focus to agriculture. domestic industry and industry.
Colombia has long been the United States’ strongest ally in the region, and Petro is calling for a reset of ties, including a change in approach to the drug war and a re-examination of a trade pact. Bilateral trade could lead to a clash with Washington.
Mr Hernández, who was relatively little known before he began to rally in the polls in the closing days of the campaign, promoted a populist anti-corruption platform, but warned against plan to declare a state of emergency to accomplish its goal.
Many voters are fed up with rising prices, high unemployment, low wages, rising educational costs and rising violence, and polls show a majority of Colombians have an unfavorable view of with Mr. Iván Duque, who is largely seen as part of the conservative camp. establish.
The election comes as polls show growing distrust in the country’s institutions, including the country’s national registry, an election body. The registry falsified the initial count in a congressional vote in March, leading to fears that losing a candidate in the presidential vote would declare fraud.
The country is also seeing an increase in violence, undermining the democratic process. Election Observation Mission Is called This pre-election period was the most violent in 12 years.
Mr. Petro and his executive friend, Francia Márquezboth received death threats, leading to increased security, including guards holding riot shields.
Despite these dangers, the election invigorated many Colombians, who long believed their voices were underrepresented at the highest levels of power, infusing the election with a sense of urgency. hope. That sense of optimism was partly inspired by Márquez, a former housekeeper and environmental activist who would be the country’s first Black vice president if her ticket were won.
Her campaign focuses on combating systemic injustice and its most popular tagline, “vivir sabroso,” roughly translates to “live rich and dignified.”
Report contributed by Sofia Villamil, Megan Janetsky and Genevieve Glatsky in Bogotá.
