Colombians go to the polls today to elect their new presidentwith a favorite of an oppositionist, him Gustavo Petrowho may become the first left-wing president in the modern history of the country.
Nearly 39 million voters are expected in 12,000 constituencies, where they will be asked to choose among six candidates to replace the not-so-popular outgoing Conservative President Ivan Duque, who is unable to run again..
The elections take place in a climate lively political tensionsafter four years without fundamental reforms, marked by the pandemic, the Great Recession, mass demonstrations in cities and the escalation of violence by armed groups in the countryside.
First in the polls is left-wing senator Gustavo Petro, a former Social Democrat rebel, economist and former mayor of Bogota, who managed to capitalize on his thirst for “change”, which he embodied in his campaign.
«Finally there are two options“, Said Petros, during the last debate on Friday. «Whether we live in what we have: corruption, violence and hunger. Either we change to move towards peace, productive progress and a transparent democracy“, He promised, calling on his fellow citizens to unite” for life “, another central slogan of his campaign.
This is the third time that 62-year-old Petros is running in the presidential elections and for many of the members of the “Historic Pact” coalition, which came first in the parliamentary elections last March, it is “now or never”. With him, the Afro-Colombian Frances Marquez, who has always been a militant feminist and anti-racist, has already emerged as one of the phenomena of this presidential election.
Opposite them is the conservative candidate Federico Gutierrez, the former mayor of Medellin, who wants to become a defender of the “ordinary” Colombians, to whom he promises “order and security”.
The polls will be open from 08.00 to 16.00 local time. A second round is scheduled for June 19 in the event that – most likely according to the press – Petros does not get more than 50%.
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