The ex-Guerillero Gustavo Petro obtained 50.44 % of the votes in the second round of the presidential election, Sunday, against the independent Rodolfo Hernandez.
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For the first time in all its history, Colombia elected a leftist president on Sunday, June 19. Gustavo Petro, 62, won the second round of the ballot, with 50.44 % of the vote. His opponent, the rich businessman and independent candidate Rodolfo Hernandez, collected 47.31 %, according to the provisional results announced in the evening. The participation was 58 %, a record since 1997. If Mr. Petro’s victory is historic, that of his vice-president Francia Marquez, an Afro-descendant, feminist and ecologist, is no less. Mr. Gustavo Petro will succeed Ivan Duque on August 7.
At the head of a so -called historic coalition, Gustavo Petro was a candidate for the third time. Economist by training, he belonged in his youth to the small urban guerrilla warfare of the M-19, which laid down arms in 1990. Gustavo Petro has been since deputy, senator, mayor of Bogota and new senator. Throughout the presidential campaign, the right – which joined Mr. Rodolfo for the second round – did not fail to recall the Guerillero past of Mr. Petro.
“The government which will enter into office on August 7 will be that of life, peace, social justice and environmental justice”, launched Mr. Petro, Sunday evening, on the stage of the Movistar, a Large Bogota performance hall, in front of his cheers. The future head of state was surrounded by his relatives, the future vice-president and many activists.
“Reconcile this nation”
On Twitter, Francia Marquez has dedicated her victory “to the elders, women, young people, people LGBTIQ+, to natives, peasants, victims, to [s] we people black, to those who resisted, to Those who are no longer there, to all of Colombia “. At the microphone, she welcomed the arrival “of a government of the people, a government of people who go on foot, a government for those who are nothing”. And to conclude, “Together, we will reconcile this nation, in joy and peace”.
esto es por nustras abuelas y abuelos, las mujeres, los jóvenes, las personas lgtbiq+, los indígenas, los campsin… https://t.co/y6lmkjzihg
– Franciamarquezm (@francia márquez)
“There will only be respect and dialogue,” promised Mr. Petro, who, before his election, had called for a great national agreement to draw the country from the crisis and consolidate peace. He had received between the two laps the support of several centrist personalities, who defended the peace agreement signed in 2016 with the Marxist guerrillas of the FARC and partially scratched by the government of Ivan Duque. “The supporters of Rodolfo Hernandez will be able to come and dialogue with us when they want, insisted Mr. Petro. The opposition, whatever it is, will always be welcome.” The elected president, who has promised to do Colombia ” A power of life, at the top of the fight against climate change, “also tried to calm business leaders:” We are going to develop capitalism. Not that the system pleases us, but because we have to get out of feudalism and Entering modernity. “His conciliatory speech did not convince all his opponents.
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